


Heart Rhythms

by clockworkidols



Category: (여자)아이들 | (G)I-DLE
Genre: Alternate Universe - Succubi & Incubi, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Irene is in the second half, Light Angst, Miyeon pabo, Romance, Shuhua does shuhua things, Soojin is important too for mystery reasons, Yeonjae is the best unnie, Yuqi is a shy succubus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:46:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 93,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28836534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clockworkidols/pseuds/clockworkidols
Summary: For the third time today, Yuqi was hiding her eyes from Yeonjae, but this time Yeonjae’s gaze happened to catch the girl’s reflection in the mirror hanging by the door. Yuqi’s irises, normally a deep dark brown, were turning faintly but distinctly red.And suddenly everything started to make sense.“Yuqi, are you a succubus?”
Relationships: Cho Miyeon/Yeh Shuhua, Song Yuqi/Son Yeonjae
Comments: 97
Kudos: 118





	1. Señorita

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the effing adorable [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBnoiKdnHjs) of Yuqi doing rhythmic gymnastics with Son Yeonjae (a famous Korean athlete who won a lot of international competitions) for Yuqi's LEARN WAY series. There's a bunch of minor references to that video in this chapter.
> 
> This is (obviously) not canon-compliant.
> 
> UPDATE: Thank you all for being SO kind and supportive with this! I wasn't sure if anyone would read it because YuJae is such a random ship, but it seems like some of y'all think they're as adorable as I do. I'm definitely planning on finishing the fic, probably somewhere around 20 chapters based on my plans. Updates will be around once or twice a week!

Son Yeonjae hadn’t expected Yuqi to find her after the “[shoot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBnoiKdnHjs)” was finished. The girl crept shyly up to her teacher as Yeonjae was finishing organizing her studio after the cameras had been packed up. Yuqi had already thanked her (and of course the staff) for their hard work during the shoot, and she figured the girl would already be getting ready to move on to her next schedule. Yuqi was an idol, of course, and while she’d been cute and energetic during the shoot, Yeonjae assumed that it was mostly a show for the cameras. 

“Excuse me, teacher? I just wanted to say thank you again… for the lesson.”

“You’re welcome Yuqi. I was happy to work with you.” Yeonjae gave a warm but professional smile, winding up a ribbon as she spoke. 

The younger girl fiddled awkwardly for a moment. “I was wondering… if maybe sometime…” She paused, apparently not confident in what she was trying to say.

“Is there something more I can help you with?” Yeonjae stopped winding the ribbon, her brows slightly furrowed. “If you want help preparing for ISAC… but I heard they canceled the Lunar New Year special this year because of the social distancing measures…”

Yuqi scrunched up her face as if gathering courage. “Canigetyournumbermaybeplease?”

“I’m sorry, did you say… my number? I think your manager has it, if your company wants to organize something.” Yeonjae’s confusion was growing.

“No, just like…” Yuqi shuffled her feet. “For lunch, maybe? Only if you want, it’s ok if you don’t—”

“Oh. Sure, if you want. I can come by your company sometime and we can have a meal.” She wasn’t entirely sure why the girl wanted to have lunch with her, but maybe she just wants to spend some time with someone outside the idol bubble who wouldn’t cause a scandal? “Here, give me your phone.”

Yeonjae thought she saw a flash of uncertainty cross Yuqi’s face… or maybe disappointment? As if she had something more to say. But whatever it was, it was gone in a moment. Yuqi unlocked her phone and handed it over. 

Yeonjae tapped a few times, and handed the phone back. “There, you can send me a message any time you like.” She grinned. “And if you still want lessons with the other five year olds, we can schedule that too.”

“Yah! I’m in my twenties now! I’m an adult!” Joking, charismatic Yuqi was back. 

“Of course you are,” Yeonjae said with a silly smile. “Now go,” she said, gesturing toward the door, “your manager is calling you. Time to walk the red carpet back to your van.” 

Yuqi straightened up, adopting a practiced, mock-elegant pose. “Indeed. My chariot awaits.” She grinned a broad grin, bowed, and started toward the door, pausing for a moment at the exit to toss a wink at Yeonjae. “I’ll see you soon, teacher!”

  


* * *

  


Yeonjae did not, in fact, see Yuqi soon. The younger girl messaged her the next day, thanking her again, but she didn’t hear from her for a long while after that. Yeonjae assumed that Yuqi was busy with promotions for her new mini-album. 

Out of curiosity, Yeonjae had decided to watch the music video for [“HWAA”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3szNvgQxHo). Some of the dance parts were nicely choreographed, and she especially liked the graceful, twirling ending. She wondered what it was like to perform without the usual cheering fans. Some of the recorded stages had fan cheering noises in the background, but Yeonjae assumed they were pre-recorded. 

The video of her “lesson” with Yuqi came out a few days after the MV, and the [behind-the-scenes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUoBGShDoA8) video followed a couple of days later. The editors had done a good job cutting out the boring and awkward bits. Yuqi’s natural performance charisma dominated the segment, but they’d also given Yeonjae some nice moments and mostly presented her as a friendly but capable teacher. The video got a lot of views, more than anything of hers had in a while, which she appreciated. Her studio wasn’t doing poorly by any means, but the extra publicity was certainly nice. She might have to deal with some IDLE fanboys skulking out on the street, trying to steal looks at _the room where Yuqi danced_ , but it would probably be worth it. 

What Yeonjae hadn’t expected was a message from Yuqi late at night on a Wednesday a couple of weeks later. 

  
**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
_hello teacher would you like lunch_

Was the idol… drunk texting her?

  
**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_Hi Yuqi._  
_It’s a little late for lunch…_  
_It’s 10PM._  


**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
 _oh I’m sorry teacher_

  
**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_Did you mean another day?_  


**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
 _yes Ok_

Yeonjae waited for some clarification, but it didn’t come. The younger girl had probably passed out. Texting to ask for a friendly lunch wasn’t usually an outcome associated with heavy drinking, but if this was the idol’s worst drunk habit then she certainly wasn’t in any danger of getting in the news for drunken scandals.

Later that night as she lay in bed, Yeonjae couldn’t help but wonder about the girl. Should she check in on her? Hopefully she wasn’t drinking because she was sad, or lonely. She lived with her groupmates, right? So she’d have company if she needed it. Unless she was fighting with them…

Yeonjae drifted off to sleep with thoughts of Yuqi swirling in her head.

  


* * *

  


She awoke to a series of notifications, her phone buzzing over and over.

8 new messages from Song Yuqi (송우기)

Well, this would be interesting one way or another, Yeonjae thought to herself. 

**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
_oh my god I’m so embarrassed_  
_i’m so sorry for bothering you teacher_  
_i was drinking with my groupmates_  
_i wasn’t thinking_  
_i just meant lunch sometime?_  
_if you still want ..._  
_i promise I’m not usually like this_  
_please don’t hate me_

Yeonjae chuckled. Apparently she hadn’t needed to worry at all. She paused a moment and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, collecting herself and her thoughts.

  
**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_Relax, Yuqi_  
_And you don’t have to call me teacher_  
_Unnie is fine_  


**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
 _oh_  
 _okay unnie_  
 _i’m really sorry_

  
**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_There’s nothing to be sorry about. You’re not the first person who ever sent drunk texts_  
_Kind of funny that your drunk texts are asking for lunch though_  
_Not like, texting an ex_  


**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
 _haha._

There wasn’t another reply for a minute. Yeonjae wondered if she’d touched a nerve somehow. She knew idols had crazy dating rules, so maybe she’d made Yuqi uncomfortable. Or maybe the girl didn’t have any exes to text and she felt awkward about it? Yeonjae decided to try to change the subject.

  
**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_I’d be happy to have lunch_  
_I can come by the company later this week?_  


**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
 _i was kind of hoping…_  
 _maybe we could go somewhere else?_  
 _not at the company_

Huh. Yeonjae paused for a moment. It was a little bit odd that the girl wanted to meet privately. They’d only met professionally, and the shoot wasn’t very long. But maybe the girl needed someone to talk to? If that was the case, then maybe somewhere public wasn’t the best idea either.

  
**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_Sure_  
_I have a little apartment above the studio_  
_You could come and eat with me there?_  


**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
 _oh i don’t want to impose, unnie_  
 _it’s fine if we go to a café or something_

  
**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_It’s fine, it’s just a place I have for when I want to stay over at the studio_  
_It’s not fancy and not that personal_  


**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
 _but i don’t want you to have to cook anything for me_

  
**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_I’ll just get something from the convenience store_  
_Is sushi ok?_  


**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
 _well_  
 _okay_  
 _if you don’t mind_

  
**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_How about Friday?_  
_I have classes around lunchtime on the weekends, so weekdays are easier_  


  


There was a pause for a few minutes. Yeonjae assumed Yuqi was checking with her manager. Yeonjae took the opportunity to get out of bed and start her morning routine. When she came back to check her phone a few minutes later, there was a response.

**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
_okay_  
_please don’t do anything special for me_

  
**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_Haha, don’t worry Yuqi_  
_We’ll just eat and chat_  
_I’ll see you at noon on Friday_  


**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
 _okay ;)_  
 _:) *_  
 _i meant :)_

  
**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_Got it ;)_  


**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
 _omg_

Yeonjae set down her phone and smiled, excited at the prospect that the idol might feel comfortable enough to reach out to her for support. She knew what it was like to have cameras on you all the time. Rhythmic gymnastics wasn’t the most famous sport in the world, but she’d become very well known in Korea. People still recognized her on the street if she wasn’t wearing a mask, even though she’d officially retired from the sport a few years ago. She was even famous enough for a while to have a couple of minor scandals of her own. The idol world was different, of course, but Yeonjae thought she could relate to Yuqi a little bit. Enough to be someone Yuqi could talk to, at least.

The day was off to a good start.

  


* * *

  


Yeonjae was sitting in her office in the studio on Friday just before noon when she heard a van pull up and a door open. Yuqi was punctual, she thought to herself. Or maybe it was her manager that was the punctual one?

Yeonjae’s ponderings were interrupted by the jingle of the studio’s front door. 

“Unnie…?” Yeonjae heard a familiar voice. “Are you here?”

Yeonjae closed her laptop, stepping into the hallway and walking quickly toward the front door. “Hey! I was just finishing some work.”

Yuqi was a comical sight. She wore the standard idol camouflage – a baseball cap and a mask – but also a giant puffy sky blue jacket. The girl couldn’t even put her arms down all the way because of the girth of the coat. They jutted out at an awkward angle. It was winter in Seoul, but it wasn’t that cold.

“I’m sorry I’m early unnie...” The girl shuffled her feet shyly. “My manager wanted to drop me off here before he went to meet a friend.” Yeonjae noticed that Yuqi's hair was lighter than it had been during promotions. She must have dyed it again already.

“That’s fine. It’s good to see you. Can I take your coat?”

Yuqi paused and looked around quickly.

“Don’t worry,” Yeonjae reassured her. “I closed all of the curtains on the street windows. You’re safe from the cameras.”

Yuqi unzipped her coat and awkwardly wiggled out of it, decreasing her overall volume by about two thirds. She handed it to Yeonjae with a polite nod of thanks and slipped off her shoes. She took off her hat and mask and stood awkwardly in the entryway. Yeonjae was immediately struck by Yuqi’s outfit, a white, form-fitting blazer with a dark turtleneck and dark jeans. The girl was even wearing small gold earrings with dangling crystals that complemented the blazer nicely. Very few people could pull off a look like that without seeming overdressed, but on Yuqi it seemed natural. 

“You look so pretty, Yuqi. Do you have a schedule later?”

“Oh… no, well, yes I have a shoot later with some of my groupmates… but I guess I felt like looking nice today…?” Yuqi hadn’t meant it as a question, but somehow it still sounded like one. As if she weren’t sure of the answer herself.

“Well I love your outfit. I wish I could pull off a blazer like that. You look so mature in it.” Yeonjae paused and chuckled. “More mature than [last time](https://gfycat.com/carefreevillainousblackrhino-son-yeon-jae-learn-way-gidle-hashtalk-song-yuqi) I saw you at least.”

Yuqi furrowed her brows for a moment, briefly looking confused until she remembered. Her outfit for their session together had been loose, hot pink clothes from head to toe. She blushed. “Well… you look nice too, unnie.” Yeonjae was just wearing a white shirt half-tucked into comfortable jeans, but she accepted the compliment with a gentle smile and a nod. 

“Are you hungry?” Yuqi gave a tiny awkward nod. “Shall we go upstairs, then?” Yuqi’s eyes widened, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks. Yeonjae tilted her head, trying to figure out what she’d said that had embarrassed the girl. “Sushi, remember? My apartment upstairs? I promise I don’t bite.”

“Oh. Yes. Okay. Sushi. Delicious.”

Yeonjae giggled as she led the way to the back of the studio and up a small staircase to the second floor. She tapped in a quick passcode to the keypad and the door unlocked with a cheerful chirp. 

The apartment itself had a small, open-plan kitchen and living room with a hallway leading back to what Yuqi assumed was a bedroom. The living room wasn’t bare – there were a few framed photographs scattered about, a mirror hung on the wall near the door, and a small sculpture of a dancer sitting on a small table in between a pair of comfortable-looking chairs – but it didn’t seem like a particularly homey place. Yeonjae noticed Yuqi glancing around and decided to clarify. “This isn’t my real apartment. Not exactly. I just stay here when I work late and I don’t want to walk home. That’s why it’s not very decorated.”

“Oh. Does your other apartment have your… trophies?”

Yeonjae laughed. It wasn’t the first question she’d expected, but she was beginning to appreciate how the younger girl’s mind seemed to work in unpredictable ways. “Some of them are there, yes. I have a few downstairs in the studio too.”

“Oh.”

Picking up on Yuqi’s obvious awkwardness, Yeonjae guided her over to one of the chairs. “Sit. Relax. Do you want anything to drink?” A thought struck her. “Nevermind. I’ll get it.” A moment later Yeonjae was back with two convenience store containers of sushi and two cans of beer. She opened one and plopped it in front of Yuqi. “You look like you need it.”

“Oh no, I really shouldn’t drink…”

“It’ll be our secret. And don’t worry, I won’t let you have more than one. Your manager will never know.” 

Yuqi hesitantly accepted the drink and, after waiting for Yeonjae to sit down in the other chair, did her best to put on a cute face as she raised the beer. “Cheers, unnie!”

“That’s better. I want you to be able to relax, ok? There aren’t any cameras here, you can say whatever you like.”

Despite the invitation, Yuqi was still silent for a while, sitting with both hands clasped around the beer. After several sips, she found the courage to speak. “I watched your ribbon routine online. The one from the Olympics.”

“Rio?” the older woman asked.

“Yeah. It was gorgeous. You’re such a great dancer, unnie!”

“Thanks, Yuqi. That was… a pretty good routine.”

“It was amazing! Aren’t you proud of it?”

Yeonjae tilted her head to the side for a moment, eyes staring back into her memories. “Do you ever do that thing where…” she paused, trying to find the right words. “… where you watch your old performances and all you can see are the mistakes?” Yuqi nodded, she definitely did that thing. “Well, it was like that for a while after that routine. I only saw my mistakes. But now, looking back on it, I’ve started to feel a little proud.”

Yuqi seemed a little bit surprised at such a personal answer. She paused, pondering, but Yeonjae decided to keep the conversation moving.

“I watched your new MV when it came out. I really liked the choreography.” She took a sip. “The song is good too. Not exactly catchy, but… it stays in your head?” Yuqi brightened up noticeably at the compliments. Yeonjae had been planning to try to talk with the young idol about the kinds of things she wouldn’t normally have a chance to talk about, but maybe it was best to warm her up first with some easy topics. “Is it hard to make a video like that? It seems like a lot of work.”

The question got an immediate reaction from Yuqi, who stared upward dramatically. “It’s a terrible ordeal.” She paused, putting a resolute expression on her face. “But as a dedicated artist, I always put my body and my soul into my work.” She closed her eyes and sniffed for effect. 

Yeonjae snorted, a response which seemed to further embolden Yuqi. “I’m glad to hear that my sacrifice was pleasing to you, Yeonjae-unnie.” She put on a mock-serious face.

This was good. This was closer to the Yuqi she’d met that day weeks ago downstairs in her studio. “I’m honored to have had the chance to experience your art, Miss Song,” Yeonjae said back, doing her best to match Yuqi’s mock-seriousness. “Is it weird doing the stages without fans though?” she asked, her tone and expression returning to normal.

That question seemed to trigger an automatic response. “We’re really thankful for everything our fans do for us and we know we wouldn’t be here without them and we hope—” Yuqi stopped short, noticing Yeonjae staring at her with a raised eyebrow. “Sorry, it’s a habit,” she said, shrugging. “And yeah, it’s really weird to perform without the fans there. I-- we really do get energy from the cheering..." A flash of something crossed her face for a moment. Guilt? It was gone in a moment though. "It must have been the same for you, right?"

_Why would Yuqi feel guilty about getting energy from her fans? Odd._ Yeonjae shook off the thought.

“Yuqi, I’m a rhythmic gymnast. I performed for a lot of mostly-empty auditoriums, and I didn’t have a lot of screaming fans.” She grinned. “But yeah, when I did have a crowd it helped a lot. All of the tiredness went away for a while, at least.”

“I’ll be your screaming fan!” Yuqi said, eyes wide with excitement. “SON YEON JAE! SON YEON JAE!” she half-shouted, standing up suddenly from her chair.

“Ack! Keep it down! The neighbors will think I’m doing something weird.” For the first time, it was Yeonjae who found herself trying to hide a blush.

Yuqi gave her a dopey grin and sat back down, finally relaxing enough to take a bite of the sushi in front of her. “Are you saying you never do anything weird in here?” she asked, mostly joking (but maybe not completely joking?) “If I had a secret apartment like this…” Yuqi let the statement trail off.

“Is that your very strange way of asking me if I’m single, Miss Song?” Yeonjae laughed, smiling suggestively. “If so, the answer is yes. I broke up with my last boyfriend a while ago.” Yuqi’s seemed to be processing this news in a way Yeonjae couldn’t quite parse. “So,” Yeonjae continued with a look of overdramatic sadness on her face, “this apartment is really just for work nights. It hasn’t been christened yet.”

Yuqi looked confused. “… christened? Are you religious?”

Yeonjae stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out whether Yuqi was trying to make a joke, and then her face shifted as if Yuqi were the cutest thing she’d ever seen. “Awww you’re adorable, and now I feel bad. Like I’m corrupting you.” The puzzled look on Yuqi’s face hadn’t gone away. “It’s a sex joke, Yuqi. I haven’t had sex in this apartment yet.”

“Oh.” Suddenly Yuqi was looking in any direction but toward Yeonjae and blushing furiously, hiding her (no doubt scandalized) eyes behind her beer can.

“Oh noooo” Yeonjae exclaimed, immediately regretting her overly-casual joke. “I’m sorry Yuqi, I wasn’t thinking. I know that it must all be complicated for idols, dating and sex and stuff.” Yuqi was still hiding her eyes. “I won’t mention anything about more about it, okay?”

“It’s okay, unnie,” Yuqi said after another moment. When Yeonjae finally caught Yuqi’s eyes again, it wasn’t innocent awkwardness she saw in them but something else she couldn’t decipher. 

_Hmmm._

“I don’t mind, I was just surprised, that’s all,” Yuqi added. “I’m not totally oblivious.”

“Okay.” Suddenly, a thought occurred to Yeonjae. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to ask, but it was her duty as an elder to make sure the girl was educated, right? “Do they teach you sex ed, though, at your company? Do you know how to be safe and how to enjoy it?”

Yuqi immediately scrunched up into a tiny ball, burying herself as deep into the chair as she could. “OH MY GOD UNNIE I KNOW HOW BABIES ARE MADE,” she exclaimed in a yell muffled by several layers of clothing that she managed to instantly place in between herself and Yeonjae. 

Yeonjae felt that she’d pushed the topic far enough. She made a mental note to come back to it a few lunches in the future though, if only to make sure the younger girl understood that sex was not just about making babies. That is, if she hadn’t traumatized Yuqi out of ever wanting to see her again. 

“Okay okay okay, I’m sorry. We’ll talk about something else.” Yeonjae paused, waiting. “Are you going to come back out and face me again, or should I talk to your blazer?”

“canyougivemeaminuteplease” was the muffled response. Yeonjae waited quietly, not sure what to expect, but eventually Yuqi uncurled and met her eyes again.

“I’m sorry unnie, I promise I’m not a prude or anything, I’m just not used to talking about it.

“No, it’s my fault, I overstepped. Let’s talk about something else, okay?”

“Okay.” Yuqi slowly seemed to be finding her composure again.

“Was there something in particular you wanted to talk about? When you asked me about lunch?”

“Well…” Yuqi began, hesitating. “I just kind of wanted to get to know you. You seem really nice.” This drew a warm, sweet smile from Yeonjae, but Yuqi seemed to quickly realize that it wasn’t much of a conversation starter. “And maybe I was wondering if you could give me any advice? About… like… how to do this whole famous thing. Like I know there are things I’m missing out on, living like this, but I don’t have any idea of what they are, and I thought that maybe, now that you’re kind of a normal person, you might be able to help?”

Yeonjae nodded. “That’s something I definitely think I can help with.” She giggled. “As a recovering former famous person, that is.”

“I didn’t mean –” 

“I’m joking, Yuqi, I know what you meant. I don’t know exactly what it’s like to be an idol, but maybe you can tell me a little bit about your life and I’ll tell you a little bit about mine?”

Yuqi smiled, a full warm smile this time. “That sounds nice, unnie.”

  


* * *

  


The time flew by as the two exchanged stories, a natural banter emerging. After a while, Yeonjae started to get a sense of what Yuqi’s personality might really be like. The ridiculous faces and jokes and faux-overconfidence were certainly a part of her, whether in front of the camera or not, but there was also a gentle earnestness that Yeonjae found remarkably endearing. She had to fight the urge to scoop the girl up and steal her away from the whole idol world. Yuqi was too sweet a person to be an idol for long without getting hurt, Yeonjae found herself thinking, but her train of thought was interrupted when Yuqi’s phone buzzed.

“Oh no! I wasn’t paying attention to the time, and my manager is outside already.” Yuqi rushed to stand up and collect her things. “I’m sorry unnie, I have to go, but thank you so much. For everything.” Yuqi smiled a shy smile at Yeonjae.

“I’m really happy you wanted to talk,” Yeonjae replied, standing up and walking the young idol over toward the door of the apartment. “Is it okay if I hug you?” She asked, feeling the urge to wrap Yuqi up and squeeze away her worries, but not wanting to overstep any boundaries. 

Yuqi nodded slowly, her face slightly flushed. Yeonjae leaned in for what was meant to be a quick hug, but as her weight shifted she found her head moving closer to Yuqi’s than she had planned, her cheek brushing lightly against Yuqi’s neck as their bodies connected. Something didn’t feel right to Yeonjae so she backed away, immediately noticing that Yuqi had stiffened and turned her head away. 

For the third time today, Yuqi was hiding her eyes from Yeonjae, but this time Yeonjae’s gaze happened to catch the girl’s reflection in the mirror hanging by the door. Yuqi’s irises, normally a deep dark brown, were turning faintly but distinctly red. 

And suddenly everything started to make sense.

“Yuqi, are you a succubus?”


	2. Maybe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Dammit Yuqi I do NOT want to know about the sexual habits of nuns right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I guess I'm doing this story for real.
> 
> This chapter has a bunch of sections of Yuqi just giving exposition, I needed to world-build a bit. I tried to keep it as lighthearted as possible though. Also... there's a lot of talking about sex. One of the main characters is a succubus, so it's gonna happen. This fic isn't meant to be smut, but there are going to be a lot of themes related to sex. You've been warned.

  
  


Yeonjae wasn’t sure whether she’d ever hear from Yuqi again after the younger girl had disappeared from her studio in a flash of surprise or terror or who-knows-what. Yeonjae had immediately regretted asking the girl about her secret, but the words had just stumbled out of her mouth out of their own volition as soon as she’d seen the girl’s eyes. The _demon’s_ eyes? Yuqi’s eyes, either way. _Yuqi, are you a succubus?_

Surprisingly, it took Yuqi only twelve hours to send a message.

**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
_how did you know_

It was 1AM, but Yeonjae was lying wide awake in her bed when her phone buzzed. She hadn’t been sure what to expect, but the message was surprisingly direct. Yuqi hadn’t even tried to deny it. 

**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_I saw your eyes.  
In the mirror._

**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
_no  
i mean how did you know about  
…_

**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_You mean how did I know about people like you?_

There was a pause for a minute.

**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
_yes_

Yeonjae set her phone down and sighed, falling back on to her pillow. This was delicate. She didn’t want to scare the girl off. She wanted to support her. But she was also _intensely_ curious.

**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_I’m sorry I said it so suddenly. I didn’t mean to scare you.  
I was just surprised.  
But I support you, and I promise I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to._

Another pause, this time longer.

**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
_please don’t tell anyone  
…  
but how did you know_

Yeonjae figured that now was her chance to connect with the girl. If she told her what she wanted to know, Yuqi might not have a reason to keep talking to her. Yeonjae knew it was a selfish thing to do, but she tried to rationalize it by saying that the girl probably needed a friend even more right now than she had thought.

**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_I don’t want to say it over text.  
Can we meet in person again?_

Yuqi responded almost immediately.

**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
_now? ___

__

__

Yeonjae hadn’t actually meant _now_ , but she supposed that she probably wouldn’t be sleeping much tonight either way. 

__

__

**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_Can you get away now?  
I have a car. I can pick you up.  
I know this is probably scary, but trust me?_

__

**Song Yuqi (송우기)**  
_i’ll text you my address_

__

  


* * *

__

Within five minutes, Yeonjae was dressed and out the door. She plugged the address into her GPS and took off. Seoul certainly wasn’t asleep, but it was quieter than a Friday night normally would have been. Yeonjae assumed the clubs were probably mostly closed because of social distancing measures. She had gone home that night to sleep at her real apartment rather than the one above the studio, but the trip to Yuqi’s dorm still wasn’t far.

__

__

**Son Yeonjae (손연재)**  
_I’m here. The silver car._

__

__

A huddled figure emerged from a side door a few seconds later. Yuqi must have already been downstairs waiting for her message. Yeonjae unlocked the passenger door and Yuqi slid inside wordlessly. Yeonjae pulled away from the curb, not with any particular destination in mind but knowing that Yuqi probably didn’t want to sit in front of her dorm building.

__

“Hey,” Yeonjae said softly, trying to keep her tone gentle but warm.

__

“Hi…” came a tiny reply.

__

“Do you want me to go anywhere specific?” Yeonjae thought about suggesting sitting down by the river because it would be private, but it was even colder now than it had been earlier that day when Yuqi came for lunch, and this time Yuqi wasn’t wearing a coat. Just a white sweatshirt with some lettering and black sweatpants. She must not have thought to grab any other layers.

__

“Your apartment again…?”

__

_Huh_. Yeonjae thought the girl might not want to go back to where everything had happened that afternoon, but she figured that, if there were anywhere that would be safe to talk about secrets, a tiny apartment above a rhythmic gymnastics studio would probably do.

__

“Okay.”

__

They rode together in silence for a while. Yeonjae knew Yuqi was probably anxious and scared, so she was willing to let the girl decide on her own when she wanted to talk. After a short drive, they pulled into a spot next to the studio. Yuqi waited in the car until Yeonjae had unlocked the front door to the studio, and then both walked wordlessly inside. After sending a quick questioning look to check with Yuqi, Yeonjae locked the front door of the studio behind them.

__

A moment later they were up in Yeonjae’s apartment again. Yeonjae turned the lights on but kept the dimmer low to keep the atmosphere soft and hopefully calming. Yuqi immediately collapsed into the same chair as before, but this time she sat curled up with her arms around her knees. Her eyes were averted again, but probably for different reasons this time. 

__

“Wait a second, I’ll be right back.” Yeonjae walked quickly into the back of the apartment and came back after a moment carrying a heavy blanket. It wasn’t cold inside, but Yeonjae knew that if she were the one with the secret, she’d probably want to wrap something around herself as armor to protect against whatever was to come. “Do you want tea?” Yuqi shook her head slowly, taking the blanket and wrapping it around herself until only her face was poking out.

__

There was a long pause. Yuqi’s eyes were fixated on a small spot on the carpet, probably battling with herself about what she wanted to say. Finally, she lifted her eyes up to look at the older woman. Yeonjae could tell now from her puffy eyes that she’d been crying.

__

“Yes, I’m a succubus,” Yuqi said slowly, her voice shaking. Yeonjae could tell she was only barely holding her fear back, even though both of them knew that Yeonjae had already figured this part out. 

__

“Okay.”

__

The simple, unqualified affirmation seemed to take a little bit of the weight off of Yuqi’s shoulders.

__

“I can tell you how I knew you were. It’s not a long story, but is there anything else you want to say first?” Yuqi shook her head a tiny bit, indicating that the older woman should continue.

__

“I don’t know if you knew, but I trained in Russia for a little while. We thought it would help my career. It was kind of lonely, but I made a friend after a while who knew some Korean.” Yeonjae paused, thinking back. “She helped me a lot.”

__

“Your friend… was she…?”

__

“A succubus?” Yeonjae shook her head no. “A while after I met her, I figured out she was seeing someone, but she kept hiding it and wouldn’t tell me anything about them. I knew her for almost a year before she shared her secret with me, late one night when we were drinking alone together in her room in the athlete dorms. She told me she was in love with a woman she’d met.” Sensing another question brewing in Yuqi’s mind, she clarified quickly. “The woman wasn’t me. This isn’t an unrequited love story.”

__

Yuqi was clearly paying close attention but she still had a confused look on her face. 

__

“So,” Yeonjae continued, “she started telling me about the woman she was seeing. It was clear that she was deeply in love. She said all the usual stuff about feeling complete and having found her soulmate and so on… but as the night went on and we went through more glasses of wine, she started saying stranger things.” 

__

Yuqi was definitely starting to see where this was going. “So… that woman…?”

__

Yeonjae nodded, confirming Yuqi’s suspicions. “She said that when they touched it felt like there was energy flowing through her body, and that the sex…” Yeonjae paused, suddenly remembering Yuqi’s reactions when the topic of sex had come up earlier that day, but this time Yuqi didn’t flinch. “She said that the sex was like a religious experience, and that her girlfriend’s eyes… glowed red when they did it. We got pretty drunk, but I’m pretty sure I remember her saying the word ‘succubus’ sometime later that night.

__

“Did she say… anything else about her girlfriend…?” It didn’t escape Yeonjae’s notice that this was the longest sentence the girl had said all night. She had an almost desperate look on her face. _Strange._

__

“Not exactly, no. The next morning, she was a mess, begging me not to say anything to anyone about the secret. I told her that of course I’d never out her, that her secret was safe with me, but I realized pretty quickly that her sexuality wasn’t the secret she was talking about. She was begging me not to tell anyone that her girlfriend was a succubus.” Yeonjae stopped. “I’m sorry, do you mind if I put some tea on for myself? I just need something warm to hold if I’m going to… talk about all of this.” 

__

Yuqi nodded. “Okay… then can you make some for me too?”

__

Yeonjae smiled softly. “Of course.” She walked behind the kitchen counter and stood on her tiptoes to pull a bag of tea leaves out from the top shelf of a cupboard, then filled a tea kettle and set it to boil. Yuqi watched her quietly, her mind clearly working overtime to process everything she’d heard. Yeonjae had meant to hurry back to continue her story, but when she glanced over and saw Yuqi, she decided to let the younger girl have a couple of minutes to process. She pulled out a few light snacks from the cupboard and set them on a plate, mostly as an excuse to let the other girl have another minute to think. By the time she had set the tea leaves steeping, she decided that it was probably okay to continue, so she brought everything back over and sat down again across from Yuqi.

__

“So what happened next?”

__

“I wasn’t really sure what was up with her, to be honest. Some part of me wondered whether the stress of training finally got to her and she’d cracked and was having weird hallucinations. I guess another tiny part of me also held on to the idea that maybe it was actually true. Either way, I never ended up finding out. She ended her training suddenly and left a few days later. I still have her number, but I haven’t talked with her in years. We just ended on a really weird note.” Yeonjae paused, thinking. “And I guess I actually just broke my promise to her by telling you her friend’s secret. I hope she’d be okay with it.”

__

“And so… when you saw my eyes?”

__

“Yup. I remembered.”

__

A long pause, like Yuqi was struggling with what to say next.

__

“If you’d met her friend, what would you have done?”

__

That wasn’t the question Yeonjae had been expecting. “Hmmm. I’m not sure. Nothing in particular I guess? I would probably have been curious to know more, but I don’t think I would have asked. It seems like a private thing.”

__

“You wouldn’t have tried to… have… sex with her?” Another very unexpected question.

__

“No? That would’ve been kind of horrible of me, wouldn’t it? To try to seduce the woman my friend was in love with because I heard the sex could be exciting?” 

__

Yuqi nodded, seemingly accepting that answer. “Okay.”

__

Yeonjae, figuring that the tea had steeped long enough, began to pour a mug full for Yuqi and then herself when a realization hit her. “Is that what you’re afraid of? That I’ll want to have sex with you because I know you’re a succubus?” She asked this as gently as she could manage, setting the teapot down.

__

Yuqi lowered her eyes again, finding that same spot on the carpet. “I thought you might think that’s all I’m good for.”

__

“Yuqi, seriously?” Yeonjae had to stop to calm herself down. She spoke again, but more softly this time. “You’re an amazingly talented woman, Yuqi,” she gave a small smile that she hoped was reassuring. “And you’re really fun to hang out with too. Don’t ever think anything like that about yourself, okay? I have no idea what your sex life is like, but it’s only one part of you.”

__

A flicker of something flashed through Yuqi’s eyes, but Yeonjae couldn’t tell what it was. The girl still wasn’t meeting her gaze, but she had allowed her arms to escape the blanket wrap enough to pick up the mug of tea. She was holding it tightly with both of her hands, taking small sips.

__

Yeonjae searched for whatever words she could think of that might be more reassuring. “Besides, I don’t think of you like that. I want to be your friend and to support you.”

__

“ _…you were thinking of me that way earlier…_ ” Yuqi mumbled into her tea.

__

“Huh?” Yeonjae couldn’t make out what Yuqi had said.

__

“I said I’m glad you want to be here for me.” 

__

Yeonjae gave a slightly skeptical look, but quickly shifted to a smile. “I know it’s probably tough for you, but I want you to know that you can talk to me. Please don’t be afraid of me.”

__

“Okay, unnie.”

__

_There_ , Yeonjae thought. Some of the tension was lifted. She picked up her mug and took a sip. It was uncomfortably warm. She set it back down, cringing.

__

There was a pause for a while. Yuqi was thinking about something.

__

“I’m only half,” Yuqi said quietly.

__

“Sorry, half what?” Yeonjae had apparently missed where the thread of the conversation had gone.

__

“Half succubus.”

__

“Oh.” Yeonjae furrowed her brows. “What’s the other half?”

__

For the first time all night Yuqi looked almost amused. “Human, unnie. I’m half human.”

__

“Oh.” Yeonjae was silent for a while this time, doing her best not to ask any more stupid questions. 

__

“It’s okay unnie, you can ask. I’m not offended,” Yuqi said after a minute, sensing Yeonjae’s uncomfortableness.

__

“Oh, I just…” Yeonjae quickly gave up on trying to justify her awkward silence and asked the question that was on her mind. “Does that mean you were… born, from like… two parents?”

__

This time there was definitely amusement in Yuqi’s face. “Do you need me to teach _you_ how babies are made, Son Yeonjae?” she teased, reminding the older woman about her joke from earlier that day. She made a silly face. “When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much, they kiss, and a baby starts growing in the mommy’s tummy.”

__

Yeonjae was immediately flustered again. “I’m sorry!” She set the mug down to… actually she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do.

__

Yuqi gave a small chuckle. “It’s okay, I just needed to laugh a little. I’d probably ask the same question if I were you.” Yeonjae relaxed her expression a bit. “Yes, my father is a human and my mother… was a succubus.”

__

_Was_. Yeonjae wasn’t sure how to react to the word, but Yuqi continued on. “How exactly were you imagining I was made?”

__

“Something with demons and hellfire, I guess?” Yeonjae shrugged awkwardly.

__

“That would probably have been a lot cooler, but no. We’re… not actually demons. Just… another species I guess that kind of evolved together with humans?”

__

“But if you’re… they’re… a different species…”

__

“Yeah, normally a succubus can’t get pregnant from a human. I’m a miracle baby I guess,” she added with a tiny hint of a laugh.

__

Yeonjae smiled a half smile reflexively, reacting to Yuqi’s laugh, but she still looked like she had something on her mind. “So…” She stopped.

__

“Yeonjae unnie, I know you’ve been wanting to ask me all night, just say it.”

__

“No, really, I ---” Yuqi cut her off with a look. “Okay.” Yeonjae took a deep breath. “The… magic… sex part… is that real?”

__

Yuqi sniffed thoughtfully. “Well, it’s not magic, but I’m more sensitive to sexual things than humans.” She paused and shrugged. “There weren’t a lot of places for me to read up on succubus biology when I was growing up, but I think it’s kind of a taste thing. I can taste sex hormones or chemicals or something in the air. And it gives me energy.”

__

“Oh. I guess that makes sense.”

__

“Which is also why I knew before you told me that you hadn’t… christened… this apartment yet.”

__

“Oh. OH. Oh my god.”

__

Yuqi laughed for real this time, a solid chuckle. “Yup. Now you know a little bit about what it’s like to be me. Except that I’m tasting it everywhere I go.”

__

“That sounds _terrible_!” Yeonjae reacted with horror. “How are you not traumatized? How can you concentrate on anything else?”

__

“I dunno,” Yuqi replied nonchalantly, shrugging. “I’ve gotten used to it. Most people think about sex a lot and sometimes they do it too. It’s normal. There’s nothing wrong with it so long as it’s consensual.” She thought for a moment. “You can smell things all the time, right? And it doesn’t stop you from doing normal human things.” 

__

“Yeah, but at least I don’t have to _taste_ gross sex stuff.” Yeonjae couldn’t help herself, clearly having trouble with the idea.

__

“It doesn’t usually taste gross to me. Usually it’s nice, like a muffin or a warm cookie. Sometimes a hamburger. If it’s just one person thinking about sex without actually doing anything, there isn’t usually much of a taste. But sometimes it’s delicious, and that gives me energy. Like vitamins I guess.”

__

A terrible, horrible thought was slowly starting to creep up on Yeonjae. “Wait, you can… taste it… if it’s only one person…?”

__

“Yes”, Yuqi confirmed, an eyebrow raised in amusement. 

__

“So…?”

__

“Yup.”

__

Yeonjae’s face was beet red. She struggled to find words. “Can you _please_ turn off your… _taste_ thing… when you’re in my _home_?”

__

Yuqi shrugged. “Nope. It’s not really a choice for me. But you shouldn’t feel embarrassed, masturbation is a normal, healthy thing. I do it a lot too.” 

__

This did nothing to reduce Yeonjae’s blush.

__

Yuqi paused, as if remembering something. “Oh, and did somebody else own your car before you?”

__

“No, but my parents took it on a trip for a couple of--- Noooooooooooo!”

__

“Oh, oops. Well, for whatever it’s worth, they seem very attracted to each other.”

__

Yeonjae made a mental note to set fire to the inside of her car as soon as possible. And also to _never_ introduce Yuqi to her parents. Or any relatives at all, for that matter.

__

Yuqi grinned a little bit but seemed to decide that she’d tortured Yeonjae enough. “Sorry. I’ve never really talked with anybody about this before. I probably need to figure out some boundaries.”

__

As much as Yeonjae was traumatized, her empathy immediately won over. “No, it’s okay. I understand. Sort of. Even though I’m seriously considering becoming a nun—” Yuqi leaned forward and started to interject but Yeonjae was quicker. “Dammit Yuqi I do NOT want to know about the sexual habits of nuns right now.” Yuqi closed her mouth and leaned backward, appropriately rebuked. Yeonjae continued. “We can probably talk more about boundaries next time, but for tonight I’ll just be happy you’re willing to open up to me.”

__

This earned a look from Yuqi, though Yeonjae couldn’t tell exactly what emotion was hiding behind her eyes. “Does that mean you’ll want to see me again unnie… after this?”

__

“Of course! If you want to, that is. I really do want to be your friend.” Yuqi narrowed her eyes at this last part but smiled a bit and nodded. “But can I ask you one more question?” Yuqi nodded. “If all of the… tasting… is normal to you, and it seems like you’ve thought a lot about sex,” Yeonjae hesitated, but Yuqi seemed okay so far so she continued, “then why did you freak out when I mentioned sex when we were together earlier today?”

__

“Oh. That was mostly because I wasn’t expecting it. I’m not really used to talking about it so openly as an idol. And I didn’t think you’d be the type to talk about it, so I didn’t prepare.”

__

“Prepare…?” A puzzled expression spread across Yeonjae’s face.

__

“Colored lenses.” Yuqi pointed to her eyes and shrugged sheepishly. “I almost always wear them, but my manager was rushing me out the door and I figured I wouldn’t need them just to see you.” She paused. “My eyes have actually been red for a few minutes now, ever since we started talking about the sex stuff. You just can’t see it.”

__

“Oh. That makes sense.” Yeonjae nodded. “Does that mean you’re… because they’re red…?”

__

Yuqi raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking me if I’m turned on right now?” 

__

“Hey, you were the one who told me that you could _taste_ that I had…” Yeonjae paused awkwardly. 

__

“Masturbated,” Yuqi supplied helpfully. 

__

“Yeah. That.”

__

“Well, technically you brought that up, not me. But that’s fair. Let’s not talk about… specifics about us… tonight. So maybe you meant to ask, ‘do red eyes mean a succubus is turned on’ instead of ‘Yuqi are you turned on right now?’ 

__

“Okay, I’m sorry.” Yeonjae asked the question again the way Yuqi was comfortable with. “Do red eyes mean a succubus is turned on?” 

__

Yuqi acknowledged Yeonjae’s effort with a slight tilt of her head. “No, it just means that we’re consciously thinking about sex. It’s kind of like karma I guess, in the way we evolved. I can taste other people’s sex in the air, but they get to see it written on my face.” She took a sip of tea, still holding the mug with both hands. “Except evolution didn’t know that people would invent colored lenses.” She paused for another moment. “I can usually control anyway it if I just get rid of those thoughts quickly when they happen, but you surprised me.” 

__

“Oh. Okay.” That explained the first two times Yuqi’s eyes had turned red earlier today, but… Yeonjae filed that thought away for later.

__

“Any more questions?”

__

Yeonjae paused to think, but none of the many things that came into her head seemed appropriate for day one. “Not right now.” 

__

As she reflected back on everything she’d learned since the start of their conversation, it occurred to her that it was a bit of an unfair exchange. “Yuqi, is there anything you want to ask… me?”

__

“About what, unnie?”

__

“I don’t know, it’s just… you’re being so open with me. I feel bad that I haven’t really shared anything with you.”

__

“Oh.” Yuqi thought for a moment. “Do you have a secret identity? Like a vampire, or something like that?”

__

“Well, other than being Korea’s ‘fairy’…” Yeonjae grimaced at the thought of the nickname. “Wait. Are vampires real?”

__

Yuqi shrugged. “Dunno. Never met one. I guess it’s possible though.” She paused. “Soyeon could be a vampire. She hates vegetables and sometimes she doesn’t sleep very much.” She sniffed, pondering the possibility. “So you’re just a human?”

__

Yeonjae blushed a little bit. “Yup, just a human. But if there’s anything you want to know about me at all… you can ask.”

__

Yuqi sat back in the chair, thinking. “I do have one question.” A mischievous smile crept across her face. “Did you like my outfit? For lunch, I mean. I dressed up very pretty just for you!” She grinned.

__

“Yeah, definitely.” Yeonjae laughed. “You looked amazing, I wish I had a picture.”

__

Yuqi smiled. “You’ll just have to keep me in your memories.” She poked a tiny finger heart out from inside her blanket wrap. 

__

As much as Yuqi was trying to be cute, Yeonjae could tell that she was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. “Should I take you home? You can stay here if you want, but I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

__

“Oh!” A look of panic appeared in Yuqi’s eyes. “I didn’t think about how I was going to get back in my dorm! The side door only opens from the inside, and there’s a guard in the lobby all night…” She retreated inside her blanket tent, becoming a lump of shame.

__

Unsure how to respond, Yeonjae got up and walked over to Yuqi, rubbing the mound that she assumed was Yuqi’s head. The Yuqi-lump twitched a bit at her first touch but didn’t retreat.

__

A plan was starting to form in Yeonjae’s head. “So right now it’s…” she checked her phone quickly. “3 AM.” The Yuqi-lump groaned a bit. “You need to get a little rest, even if it’s just a few hours. Let’s sleep here till… maybe 7? Do you know if a new guard comes in the morning?” 

__

Yuqi poked her head out a bit. “I think there’s a new one at 8.”

__

“Okay perfect. You can go back around 8:15 and hope the new guard thinks you were just out to get something from the convenience store. We’ll get some stuff quickly so you can be carrying it when you walk in. Maybe coffee for your groupmates?” 

__

“My groupmates are _definitely_ gonna ask questions if I bring them coffee that early for no reason.” 

__

“Oh. Right. Maybe pads? Nobody will ask any questions about why you were buying those.”

__

“Okay.”

__

“Will it be suspicious if you’re wearing the same clothes as last night?”

__

“I don’t think so.”

__

“Okay, then it’s a plan. I can drop you off like a block away and you can walk in.”

__

Yuqi nodded, like this all made sense to her. Either that, or she was just too tired to think of anything else. “I can just sleep… here…” She apparently meant in the chair, and there was no way Yeonjae was going to allow that.

__

“We can share my bed. It’s big enough. Unless… that would be too much for you and your…?”

__

For a moment it looked like Yuqi was going to argue with her, but after a moment she nodded. “It’s okay with me if it doesn’t make you uncomfortable. I’ve shared beds with my groupmates before.” Seeing Yeonjae’s raised eyebrow, she quickly clarified. “For traveling and stuff. And cuddles.”

__

Yeonjae nodded. “I’m not uncomfortable with you at all, okay?” She extended a hand to Yuqi, who finally unwrapped the blanket from around herself for the first time all night. “Let’s get some rest.”

__

  


* * *

__

Both of them were used to operating on very little sleep, but Yeonjae was the first to force herself up and out of bed after the alarm sounded. She scratched her head groggily and rubbed her eyes. Yuqi hadn’t moved yet, still curled up. “Yuqi?” She asked softly, receiving a groan in response. The younger girl didn’t move. “I’m going to go wash up a bit. Will you want to use my shower?”

__

“No thanks unnie… I already ate some of it last night,” came a mumbled, half-asleep reply. 

__

_Oh_. This was about to be the start of a very unusual friendship.

__

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think next chapter will be from Yuqi's point of view, We'll meet other idle members soon.


	3. No matter what they say

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miyeon looked satisfied for a moment, but her expression quickly changed. She looked at Yuqi with suspicion, then down to the bag, then back up, staring sharply into the younger girl’s eyes. “Yuqi, were you out all night?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love silly derpy Miyeon moments, but for this chapter she needed to be stern. Also, yes, I know I’m mixing up who lives in which dorm, but this works better for the story. This isn’t a canon-compliant fic. 
> 
> We’re starting with stealthy (ish) MiShu, but patience for other ships will be rewarded.

The guard at the front desk smiled at Yuqi as she entered and bowed his head in greeting from his chair. His taste-aura was energetic and refreshing. Yuqi sniffed a bit appreciatively, basking a bit in the energy. _Make-up sex with his boyfriend, probably_. He glanced down at his phone when it buzzed, an adorably enthusiastic hint of a smile on his face. He was clearly in much too good a mood to question Yuqi’s early morning appearance.

Most of the building was too closed for her to get much of a taste from the hallways, though elevators occasionally had some interesting tastes from secret make-out sessions. The apartment units’ front doors were thick, so she could only occasionally feel a trickle of taste escaping from underneath, usually during particularly passionate nights when couples had barely managed to make it inside before jumping on each other. Yuqi sometimes thought that, if the whole idol thing fell apart, she could make an excellent career out of managing love motels. She’d never be hungry again.

The hallways were empty as she headed back to the apartment that she shared with Miyeon and Soojin. Any idols with very early schedules had already left, and the others were probably sleeping in. Yuqi congratulated herself as she tapped in the key code to her front door. _Mission success_.

Just as Yuqi walked in and slipped off her shoes, a sleepy Miyeon shuffled out of her room headed toward the bathroom, bare faced with messy hair tied up. She twitched a bit, startled by Yuqi’s unexpected appearance. Miyeon tasted like guilt and Shuhua, the same tastes Yuqi had sensed from their shared bathroom last night as she’d snuck out. It was part of the reason she’d been able to escape the dorm without getting caught – they were much too focused on not getting caught themselves.

“Where were you?” Miyeon asked with a drowsy, puzzled expression on her face.

“At the store down on the corner, unnie.”

“What were you getting?” _Uh-oh._ Yuqi lifted the package out of the bag enough to show Miyeon the label. “Oh. Okay.” Miyeon looked satisfied for a moment, but her expression quickly changed. She looked at Yuqi with suspicion, then down to the bag, then back up, staring sharply into the younger girl’s eyes. “Yuqi, were you out all night?”

 _Shit. How did she…?_ “Wha-what? Unnie, I –” Excuses flashed through her mind, but Yuqi couldn’t lie to Miyeon. She sank to the floor of the entryway between the shoes and the slippers, her hands in her hair and her forearms half-blocking her face.

“Yuqi…” The quiet disappointment in Miyeon’s face was absolutely crushing to Yuqi. It was an emotion she had only rarely faced from the older girl. She sat in silence, awaiting judgment.

A pause. “Sit. I’ll make coffee, then we talk.” Miyeon gestured to the table in the center of the living room. She set the machine brewing, then disappeared to the bathroom for a moment to wash her face, probably just to try to wake up a bit more. Yuqi briefly considered fleeing to live as a hermit somewhere in the Korean countryside, but eventually did as she was told and sat slumped in one of the chairs surrounding the table.

Soojin shuffled into the room silently, probably having overheard the exchange. She eyed Yuqi as she pulled out another chair, an inscrutable look on her face. She tasted faintly like quiet loneliness, probably last night by herself in her bed. Yuqi wasn’t sure why, but this wasn’t the time to probe.

Miyeon paused a moment as she re-entered looking marginally more awake, glancing at Soojin as if deciding something, and then capturing Yuqi’s gaze again to answer the implicit question. “Soojin can stay.” Miyeon walked to the kitchen, pulled out three mugs from the cupboard and filled them. Despite her… anger?... with Yuqi, she still knew how each of her members liked their coffee. After adding the usual amounts of milk and sugar, she put them on a tray to carry over and then placed each girl’s coffee in front of them.

 _There are so many secrets at this table right now_. The thought made Yuqi sad.

Miyeon took a long sip, staring down Yuqi. Soojin held her mug silently. “So,” Miyeon started, “is it a guy? How long have you been seeing him?”

 _Definitely not a guy for so many reasons_. “It’s not a guy, unnie,” and seeing Miyeon’s unhappy, skeptical look, “Please trust me? I promise I would talk to you before I would ever get serious with a guy.” _Because I would have to be getting blackmailed for that to happen_.

“Then what is it? Drugs?” Miyeon peered at her. “Your eyes are bloodshot.”

“That’s cause I didn’t sleep much and I didn’t take my lenses out. I’m not doing drugs, and it’s kind of hurtful that you’d –”

“Yuqi, please just tell us the truth.”

Yuqi sighed heavily, staring down into her mug. “I just really needed to talk to a friend, okay? I promise that’s all it was.” _That was the truth, right? Mostly?_

“What friend? Why did you need her in the middle of the night? Why couldn’t you talk to us?” Miyeon looked hurt. _You can’t talk to us either_ , Yuqi thought.

Soojin spoke for the first time, slowly but clearly. “She’s allowed to have friends other than us, unnie.” The sudden interjection startled Miyeon and she began to say something, but she stopped. Soojin didn’t often disagree openly like this, so when she did it was worth listening.

“… okay. If you feel like you can talk to us about whatever it is, please know that we will always support you.” _Even if I’m a different species than you and I can taste your secrets?_

Seeing Yuqi’s uncertain look, Miyeon got up and walked over to give Yuqi a gentle back hug, but Yuqi shied away. “I’m sorry Yuqi… I didn’t mean to hurt you… but you know I have to think about how things like this affect all of us…”

Yuqi wasn’t about to tell Miyeon that she’d flinched because the taste-residue of guilty sex on her was really strong and kind of overpowering, so she steeled herself and readied her senses and stood up to give the older girl a real hug. “It’s okay unnie, I’ll be careful. I promise I’m not doing anything really scandalous.” She stepped away and breathed again. “No boys, no drugs. Just a friend and some late-night feelings.” Soojin stood up too, and Yuqi couldn’t resist hugging her as well. “Now please go take showers, unnies, you smell gross.”

* * *

Yuqi’s next message to Yeonjae was a selca taken a few days later while she was waiting for a radio recording session to start.

She’d tried [**more**](https://united-cube.com/res/259/13461c8/z0EVsk9MQTuHspG0LV8Pjw.jpeg) [**angles**](https://united-cube.com/res/259/13461c8/5ZP7r1y8SIyYYjtw1-td4w.jpeg) than she [**wanted**](https://united-cube.com/res/259/13461c8/-VwYKvL9RyOE0Q7ky1_mkQ.jpeg) to [**admit**](https://united-cube.com/res/259/13461c8/gthbiMpsSRqQLmSNjL5qIA.jpeg), but eventually she picked an [**earnest-cute**](https://united-cube.com/res/259/13461c8/7Sg6NZgbSyaki3dEIHFbgw.jpeg) angle.

**_Song Yuqi_** ( **송우기** **)  
**_your favorite not-demon just wanted to share how adorable she looks today_

She figured that the boast was needed to balance the adorableness of the picture. She had a reputation to maintain, after all.

It took Yeonjae only a couple of minutes to respond.

**_Son Yeonjae_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
**_Your favorite not-fairy is sweaty and will not be sending a selca back  
__But she does think Yuqi is adorable_

**_Song Yuqi_** **(** **송우기** **)  
**_what could have made my favorite not-fairy sweaty?_

**_Son Yeonjae_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
**_Playing with balls for a few hours ;)_

**_Song Yuqi_** **(** **송우기** **)  
**_gross. Never make me think about that again._

**_Son Yeonjae_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
**_Really big ones. 20 cm, 400 grams._

**_Song Yuqi_** **(** **송우기** **)  
**_omgggg ok i’m blocking you now_

**_Son Yeonjae_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
**_Relax babe. It’s just the plastic kind.  
__I’m practicing some of my old routines.  
__Also shouldn’t you be like, not grossed out?_

**_Song Yuqi_** **(** **송우기** **)**

 _balls =_ 👌

 _you + balls =_ 🤮

**_Son Yeonjae_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
**_Ok. No more balls for me._

**_Song Yuqi_** **(** **송우기** **)**

✌️

None of her other three groupmates had mentioned Yuqi’s night out since Miyeon had caught her, so she assumed that neither she nor Soojin had told the others. It was kind of them, (though unsurprising from Soojin) but Yuqi caught Miyeon watching her closely more than once in the days that followed. She knew the older girl was just worried about her, but Yuqi couldn’t figure out a way to tell her that things were actually _great_. For the first time in Yuqi’s life, she had a real friend to talk to who knew her secret.

Her new friendship with Yeonjae wasn’t without its complications though, they still couldn’t talk about certain things over texts. “ _Hi unnie, you’ll never guess what made my eyes glow red today._ ” “ _OMG I tasted the most delicious threesome this morning at the company.”_ The… _personal_ … details of Yuqi’s life that she’d never been able to share before were still far too dangerous to put in writing. Or to talk about in public. So, for the moment, she’d have to rely on more visits to Yeonjae’s apartment until they found a better secret spot.

* * *

After a few more visits, Yeonjae decided it was time for her to get a couch. Chairs were nice, but she felt very strongly that friends needed a couch to sit on when they shared secrets. So, one Tuesday afternoon in late February, Yuqi found herself huffing and puffing as she tried to help Yeonjae lift a couch up the narrow stairway leading from her studio to the apartment.

_Here lies Song Yuqi, promising idol. Crushed to death by furniture._

Yuqi had pointed out that Yeonjae could have hired somebody to move the couch, but Yeonjae was stubborn about not wanting any strange men intruding on their spot. The same went for managers – Yuqi had been visiting Yeonjae under the pretense of practicing her rhythmic gymnastics skills with a new friend, and it would have been difficult to explain to her manager why getting a couch into Yeonjae’s secret apartment was an important part of her practice.

So, it was left to the two young women to carry the couch, and after much cursing and grunting they managed to position it along the back wall of Yeonjae’s living room. Both of them promptly plopped down on it and let out simultaneous sighs of relief.

“Let’s never do that ever again, unnie.” Yeonjae nodded her emphatic agreement.

The couch itself was brand new. Yeonjae was remarkably thrifty for a celebrity, but Yuqi had insisted on getting new furniture -- nothing pre-owned. She didn’t want to be distracted by any uninvited taste auras while she was hanging out with Yeonjae. Besides, the couch in their dorm had long ago gained a permanent aura of Miyeon-guilt mixed with Shuhua-adoration. Yuqi deserved a break.

Yeonjae reluctantly peeled herself off the couch to fetch them cold drinks. Yuqi remained in her jelly-like form, oozing over the right half of the couch, until Yeonjae handed her a glass filled with something fruity and cold.

“Did you make me a… cocktail?”

Yeonjae laughed. “It’s just something I blended. No alcohol, I promise.”

Yuqi took an experimental sip and lit up. “It’s delicious!” It was sweet and fruity and a little tangy. _Kind of like…_ She didn’t let herself finish that thought.

Yeonjae sat down next to her and for a while they just sipped in quiet satisfaction. Their reverie was interrupted when Yeonjae’s phone suddenly buzzed. She picked it up and looked at the ID but sighed and put it back down. It was still a long enough look for Yuqi to catch the name, though.

“If it’s your mother, you should answer it. You don’t need to ignore her because I’m here.”

Yeonjae looked distracted. “It’s not because you’re here, it’s just…” She turned to Yuqi, a vulnerable look on her face. “Do you think I should be focusing on getting married?”

Yuqi was totally caught off guard. She managed to form a questioning “Ummmmm…?” with her eyes wide and eyebrows raised.

“It’s… my mom has been setting me up on blind dates with a lot of men recently.” Yuqi frowned at this news, a pit starting to form in her stomach. “She keeps telling me that I’m almost 30, and that athletes need to get married while they still have…” she gestured up and down her body.

“Oh my god Yeonjae unnie, that’s terrible!” Yuqi was immediately angry. “Nobody ever has the right to say something like that to you.” She paused to collect herself a bit. “Getting married is totally your decision. If you want to wait until you’re 50 or 80 or never, I support you.”

Yeonjae nodded, still hesitating. “I know that, but… it’s just… she’s my _mother_ , and I want to be a good daughter.”

“Okay,” Yuqi nodded, very clearly not agreeing _at all_. “So you can go on all the dates she sets you up on, and I’ll pay someone to make all the men disappear a few days later.”

This earned a snort from Yeonjae. “I hope you’re rich, because at this rate it’s looking like there’s gonna be a lot of them.”

Yuqi was feeling several distinct unpleasant feelings all at once. “So tell her that you found somebody on your own and you don’t need to go on any more dates.”

“I don’t want to lie to her.”

“It doesn’t need to be a _bad_ lie, just… an optimistic interpretation of the truth. You’ll definitely find the right person soon all by yourself.”

Yeonjae made a noncommittal “Hmmm…”

Something was driving Yuqi to keep pushing. “Have you even felt anything for any of the guys?”

A sigh. “No. I’ve tried, but… my heart just isn’t in it.”

“You deserve to do this in a way your heart feels is right, okay?”

A longer pause. “You’re right. I’ll find a way to get her to stop for a while, and maybe I’ll meet someone on my own.”

“Good. No more balls for you, remember?”

Yeonjae rolled her eyes. “If you say so.”

Yuqi nodded, satisfied with the victory. “Besides, you don’t have anything to worry about. You’re still gonna be sexy as hell when you’re like, eighty.”

Yeonjae made a mock-sexy pose. “You know I will,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows seductively. Yuqi wiggled back.

A moment passed, both of them thinking. “Okay, my turn to be the unnie," Yeonjae finally said. "Tell me about your problems." She shuffled around to sit cross-legged on the couch, facing Yuqi and leaning in attentively.

Yuqi thought for a moment. “Well…” she scooted around on the couch to mirror Yeonjae’s pose. “So I’ve been thinking a lot about secrets lately. I obviously have a lot. But my friends do too, and I want them to feel comfortable talking to me.”

Yeonjae nodded sagely. “And you feel awkward because you don’t feel like you can ever share your big secret with them, but you want them to share their secrets with you.” Yuqi nodded slowly. “That’s tough. Friendships are built on trust. I can see how it could feel hard to get close to anyone because of that.” A thought occurred to her. “How have you handled it when you’ve dated people?”

 _Oof._ “I’ve never really…” Yuqi waved her hands awkwardly, her eyes downcast and a hint of shame on her face.

“Aww babe…” Yeonjae gently took Yuqi’s hands. A very light hint of a blush spread across Yuqi’s face. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I know dating is probably really complicated for you for, like, more than one reason, so it’s totally understandable that you’d be moving at your own pace.” A pause. “It makes me really sad though… you must have felt so alone for such a long time.” Yuqi’s eyes fell, and on an impulse, Yeonjae leaned forward to capture Yuqi in a warm hug. “But you have me now, okay? I’m not going anywhere. You don’t need to keep up any walls with me, you can let me in. I promise I won’t hurt you.”

Yuqi was trying to hold her feelings in, but tears started to well in her eyes as she let herself sink her face into Yeonjae’s shoulder… and suddenly something released inside her, and warm, silent tears began to stream down her face. Her small frame quivered with muffled sobs.

“It’s okay, let it out. I’ve got you.”

They stayed that way for a while, years of repressed feelings welling up and rolling down Yuqi’s face. Neither woman spoke, but Yeonjae held Yuqi tightly. “I’ve got you,” she said again, this time just a soft whisper.

Eventually Yuqi’s sobs melted down into soft sniffles, and she pulled away and wiped the tear trails off her face with her sleeve. “My manager is gonna ask why my makeup is all messed up,” she said sheepishly.

“Just say you got really sweaty while you were practicing.”

“Sweaty from my red puffy eyes?” she said with a tiny sniffle-laugh.

“Man or woman? Your manager.”

“Man.”

“He won’t ask questions. He probably has no idea how makeup works.”

“Hmmm…” Her manager had spent a _lot_ of time around girls talking about makeup.

Yeonjae gently took both of Yuqi’s hands in hers. “About your… secrets problem.” Yuqi nodded, listening. “I won’t tell you to tell them about being a succubus. That’s your choice to make, for sure. But maybe you can share something else with them, something personal that you haven’t about talked with them before? And maybe then they’ll open up to you too. Don’t push them, okay? Give them a choice.”

Yuqi nodded slowly, thinking. She had other secrets for sure. Secrets that were about parts of her identity that were safer to share. Maybe there was some small piece she could open up to them about.

“Thanks unnie.” _For everything_ , she left unsaid, but she knew Yeonjae understood.

* * *

Half an hour later, Yuqi was lying down on the couch with her head propped up in Yeonjae’s lap, the older woman gently scratching Yuqi’s head while Yuqi nibbled on a piece of chocolate from Yeonjae’s snack cabinet. _This is what heaven feels like._

Yuqi had opened the floor for succubus-related questions, and Yeonjae tried (unsuccessfully) to hide her excitement. She must have had a lot of questions saved up.

“You probably stay in a lot of hotels, right? When you travel?” Yuqi nodded, distractedly nibbling. “What are those like?”

“They usually taste okay. Depends on who was in the room recently. The chemicals they clean the sheets with are really strong, but there’s usually still a taste from the walls and the carpets.”

Yeonjae scrunched up her face and made a mental note. _Wear shoes in hotel rooms, don’t touch the walls._ “What about concerts? When you’re on stage?”

“Depends on the audience, but usually it’s kind of a cloud of tastes mixed together.” She chuckled a bit. “I can’t really tell who it’s directed at when it’s a bunch of people all crammed together, but most of the people who come to watch us aren’t there because they want to have sex with us. I think a lot of times at award shows it’s other idols trying to hide how much they want each other, and guilty sexual repression definitely doesn’t taste very good.”

“So… you can tell when people are interested in each other…?”

Yuqi finished her chocolate chunk and eyed the snack plate, thinking about what to much on next. “Sometimes. Almost always when people are focused on each other, like on a date. I can’t tell if they’re romantically interested though, only sexually.”

“Hmmm. What about fan signs?”

“I can tell which of us they’re most excited to meet, yeah.” More nibbles.

“Does it bother you when creepy guys are, like, super into you?”

“As a succubus no, but as a human yeah. I’m glad we have bodyguards. It makes me feel a little better knowing that I get to snack on their desire but they’ll never get anything back from me.”

“Is it ever awkward for you if you find out that a friend wants…”

Yuqi cut her off. “Nope. That one’s off limits.” The question wasn’t unexpected, but she needed to establish the boundary. She picked up a Pepero stick and bit off the end.

“Okay.” A sudden thought struck Yeonjae. “Do you have… wings?”

Yuqi exploded in laughter. “ _Yeonjae unnie_ … don’t you think someone would’ve noticed if an idol had wings?”

“I just meant if they… like…” she gestured feebly with her hands. “Nevermind.”

“Well if I ever start to grow them, you’ll be the first to know.” Yuqi giggled. “You can help me pick out outfits that match them.” A pause. “If I’m not getting dissected in some secret military lab somewhere.”

Yeonjae cringed, but Yuqi had been at least half-joking. She’d considered a lot of possible outcomes of her secret being discovered over the years, and getting “disappeared” by some government agency wasn’t actually the worst one that had occurred to her.

“Can I ask you a… personal sexual question?”

Yuqi tensed a bit. “Depends on what it is.”

“Can you… can a succubus get energy from… doing it to herself?”

That wasn’t nearly as bad as Yuqi had thought. “You mean masturbating?” Yeonjae cringed, but Yuqi continued. “You should really get comfortable saying the word, unnie. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s a healthy thing. Here, let’s practice. Say it after me. Mas-tur-ba-ting.” She emphasized each syllable.

“Yuqi I really don’t think ---" Yuqi silenced her with a look. “Fine. _Masturbating_ ,” she mumbled under her breath.

“What was that?” Yuqi leaned closer. “I didn’t hear.”

“ _Masturbating,_ ” Yeonjae said with frustration, marginally louder this time.

“Still can’t hear you.”

“ _MASTURBATING_ YUQI OH MY GOD.” Yeonjae shuddered, shaking off her awkwardness. “Are you _happy_ now?”

Yuqi nodded with a pleased smile, taking another nibble. “No, we don’t get energy from ourselves in that way. That would be cheating I think. It still feels good though. I’m not sure which half of me is the half that wants it, but I do it a lot.”

“Oh, we’ll have to introduce you to toys then.”

“ _Toys_? You can get those in Korea?” Yuqi paused, thinking. “Also how are you comfortable talking about _toys_ but not saying the word?”

Yeonjae shrugged. “It’s a really awkward word.” Yuqi nodded. That was fair.

“It’ll have to be a lesson for another time though,” Yeonjae said, checking her phone. “Our time’s up and your manager’s probably waiting.”

Yuqi suddenly found herself extremely preoccupied by wondering exactly what kind of _lesson_ Yeonjae had in mind but shook the thoughts away. She needed a _friend_ right now, not a… hands-on… sex teacher. She reluctantly lifted her head from its resting spot on Yeonjae’s lap. They walked to the door together and Yuqi gave the older woman a tight hug. “You’re amazing, unnie.”

Yeonjae giggled and wiggled her eyebrows. “Oh, I know.”

* * *

Yuqi spent a lot of time over the next few days thinking more about secrets. Hers, but also especially Miyeon and Shuhua’s. It made Yuqi sad every time she thought about it that the two of them could be afraid that she of all people would judge them for being in love with each other. Or for having “secret” sex _constantly_ on every piece of furniture in their apartment (except, mercifully, in Yuqi and Soojin’s rooms), but that wasn’t the point.

The hard part was figuring out what the right moment was to bring it up. Yuqi figured she’d try to open up to the two of them, not pushing them but giving them the chance to tell her their truth. Hopefully they’d feel safer with her if she was open with them first.

All of these thoughts were running through her head one evening as she arrived back at their dorm from finishing a shoot early around 9PM, an amazing scheduling feat that almost never happened, leaving her with an evening free. She heard soft, muffled music through the door as she punched in the code. _Miyeon must be listening to something while she cooks._

She didn’t see Miyeon in the kitchen but she spotted Shuhua lying on the sofa, her eyes closed and her hands folded behind her head, covered by a large blanket.

 _That’s an odd place for her to nap_ , Yuqi thought. The girl had a room of her own in the other apartment, so why was she lying here on the couch with nobody else around?

And why wasn’t she wearing a shirt? And why was there another pair of feet sticking out from under the blanket? And… was she… moaning?

_And why is she staring at me all of a sudden like she’s terrified of me?_

_Oh._

This was _definitely_ not the kind of “opening up” Yuqi had been planning for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter and the next one together, but it was getting too long so I split it up. Next one will be up soon though.
> 
> Writing for Yuqi is hard because of all the extra 'sensing' to keep track of, but it's kind of fun. She has a lot of secrets that she's gotten used to just never sharing with anyone.
> 
> Also this fic somehow ended up having a lot of conversations about masturbation. Whoops.


	4. She took me to the sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ninety-nine…” She paused. “One hundred.” She opened her eyes. 
> 
> Miyeon and Shuhua were sitting across from her. Miyeon looked absolutely terrified, her face even paler than usual. Shuhua looked worried too, but Yuqi could tell she was squeezing Miyeon’s hand under the table.
> 
> Yuqi smiled a soft warm smile. _Be like Yeonjae, Yuqi. Supportive unnie energy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick update only because I wrote this chapter and the last one together as one before I decided to split them.
> 
> And I know most of y'all are only here because of MiShu, but you gotta admit that Yuqi and Yeonjae [are](https://gfycat.com/faithfulhomelyicelandicsheepdog-son-yeon-jae-learn-way-gidle-hashtalk-song-yuqi) [so](https://gfycat.com/grandioseweegaur-son-yeon-jae-learn-way-gidle-hashtalk-song-yuqi) [effing](https://gfycat.com/carefreevillainousblackrhino-son-yeon-jae-learn-way-gidle-hashtalk-song-yuqi) [adorable](https://gfycat.com/ellipticalweepybluet-son-yeon-jae-learn-way-gidle-hashtalk-song-yuqi). (From [this](https://old.reddit.com/r/GIDLE/comments/kyak31/210115_yuqi_meeting_son_yeon_jae_for_the_1st_time/) thread)

Miyeon’s head popped up out from under the blanket, trying to figure out why Shuhua had suddenly tensed up. She spotted Yuqi and froze, a wave of panic rising in her eyes.

Yuqi spun away quickly, eyes glued to the wall. Her mind was racing, scenarios flashing through her head. Finally she settled on one, Yeonjae’s words echoing in her head. _Give them a choice._

“Okay, so…” Yuqi gathered up all of her confidence, trying her best to say the right words the right way. “I’m gonna sit at the table and count to 100 with my eyes closed and my ears covered. You have two choices. Option one is that when I open my eyes you’ll both be gone and I’ll forget this happened. For now, at least. Option two is that you… clean yourselves up a little and put on clothes and come sit and talk with me. I promise I’ll listen and I won’t judge you. Okay?” She didn’t really expect an immediate response and she didn’t receive one. She fumbled her way over to the table with her eyes closed, pulled out a chair, and maneuvered her way down on to it. _Here goes nothing…_

“One… two… three…” She tried to count slowly.

There were a few seconds of silence, and then frantic shuffling and whispering that Yuqi couldn't fully make out with her ears covered.

“Ten… eleven… twelve…”

Was that… running water? Someone turned off the music.

“Thirty-seven… thirty-eight…”

The conversation Yuqi hoped they were about to have felt more like a couch conversation than a table conversation, but after what she’d just seen… there probably weren’t going to be any conversations on that couch for a while.

“Fifty-five… fifty-six…”

She hoped she was counting slowly enough. As much as she loved her two groupmates, she had no interest in seeing either of their pasty butts tonight.

“Eighty-eight… eighty-nine…”

Yuqi tried use her taste-sense to see whether the two of them were coming to talk or running away, but enough of the apartment tasted like MiShu that she couldn’t pick out where they were. _Gross_.

“Ninety-nine…” She paused. “One hundred.” She opened her eyes.

Miyeon and Shuhua were sitting across from her. Miyeon looked absolutely terrified, her face even paler than usual. Shuhua looked worried too, but Yuqi could tell she was squeezing Miyeon’s hand under the table.

Yuqi smiled a soft warm smile. _Be like Yeonjae, Yuqi. Supportive unnie energy._ “I’m really glad you chose option number two,” she said, looking each of them in the eyes in a way that she hoped was encouraging. “Ummm… hold on a sec.” Yuqi scurried to the kitchen and returned a second later with three glasses of water, setting each in front of one of them. Neither of the two girls immediately picked theirs up, their hands probably shaking too much to hold them.

“So… first I want to say that you’re my groupmates and my friends and I love you and I support you, okay?” No response, they were still staring at her. “And I respect your privacy…” Yuqi grimaced for a moment, remembering the very _public_ display she’d just witnessed. “But can you tell me what this is between the two of you?”

Neither of them responded for a minute, sending silent questions back and forth with their eyes. Miyeon spoke first, taking a deep breath and steeling herself. “I’m in love with Shuhua.” The youngest girl beamed a tiny beam with her eyes as Miyeon continued. “And I know you might not like it but…”

“Okay.” Yuqi cut Miyeon off, nodding. She wanted to hear from Shuhua first before Miyeon said anything else. “What about you?”

“I’m in love with Miyeon unnie too…” she said, a tiny shy smile on her lips and a faint blush on her cheeks.

“Okay. I’m happy for both of you. I really am.”

“But…?” Miyeon said sharply, like she was expecting a fight.

“But nothing. I support you completely, okay?”

“You mean… you’re not upset that…?” Shuhua asked quietly.

“That you’re both women? Or about what it means for our careers?”

“That we’re women—” “Because of our careers—” Miyeon and Shuhua said at the same time. They turned to look at each other in surprise, each apparently not expecting the other’s answer. _Interesting_. Yuqi had thought Miyeon would be the one who was more worried about their careers.

“Okay.” Yuqi answered Shuhua first, “I’m a little worried about what it means for the group, but my support for you guys comes first. If we ever need to figure anything out, we can do it together.” And turning to Miyeon, “I am absolutely supportive of love between people of any gender, okay?” Miyeon still had a defensive look on her face, and Yuqi knew she’d need to go further. _Okay, time for courage._ Yuqi sat back in her chair for a moment, rallying herself. _Breathe, Yuqi._ “To be honest… I like girls too.”

Miyeon looked confused. “Like, you _like_ girls?” For some reason this was difficult for the oldest to process.

“Ummm… yup.” Yuqi wasn’t sure exactly how else to answer.

“But like, you like guys too… right?”

This earned a punch in the shoulder from Shuhua. “ _Unnie!_ You can’t say things like that. She just _came out_ to us! You have to be _respectful_.”

“It’s okay,” Yuqi said, shrugging. “And nope, pretty much just girls.” It was a little more complicated than that, but Yuqi was definitely not going to choose this moment to try to explain the nuances of being a gay succubus. She hadn’t even really reconciled those things with herself yet, how she was fine with eating the sexual energy of men but had absolutely zero interest in actually experiencing their energy personally.

“Ohmygoddd Yuqi!” Shuhua squealed. She was adapting to this new information much more quickly than Miyeon for some reason. “Finally someone I can talk to about girls!” _Sorry, what?_ It was Yuqi’s turn to look confused.

“I’m straight,” Miyeon said quickly. “I just love Shuhua too. She’s the only girl I’m interested in.” _Uhhh… well, not my job to unravel that one,_ Yuqi thought to herself _._ She noticed Shuhua’s eyes narrowing for a moment, but enthusiastic Shuhua reappeared almost instantly. The youngest sprung out of her chair to give Yuqi a hug.

“Ack!” Yuqi cringed. “Keep your _hands_ to _yourself_ please, at least until you’ve showered.”

Shuhua snorted. “Fiiiiine.” She sat back down.

“Okay, so.” Yuqi folded her hands in front of her, trying to look serious. _Down to business_. “I’m totally fine with it if you two want to be… comfortable with each other when I’m around. Holding hands, a kiss on the cheek once in a while, tiny bits of romance. Those are fine.” Miyeon cringed, probably knowing what was coming. “But I’m gonna need you to keep the sex stuff in your personal spaces. Beds are great.” She hastily added, “ _Your_ beds, not mine.”

“ohmigod.” Miyeon leaned over and hid her face behind her arms on the table, a puddle of embarrassment.

Yuqi thought for a moment, trying to be generous. “And the shower is okay once in a while, so long as you make sure to wipe everything down after.”

Miyeon was pretending not to exist, but Shuhua just nodded. Yuqi was confident that the youngest would find another way to make up for the lack of location variety.

Yuqi pressed onward, one more set of demands to convey. “And you’re gonna need to get that sofa cleaned. Like, soon, before Soojin takes a nap on it. And you’re gonna clean all the kitchen counters, and buy me a new yoga mat, and…” She tried to recall any other particularly egregious locations. “Oh, and you owe me a replacement for the dress you borrowed last week,” she said, looking at Miyeon. “I’m definitely not wearing that one ever again.”

Miyeon looked like she was about to faint. Shuhua mostly just looked impressed at Yuqi’s apparent perceptiveness.

“How long have you known about…?” the oldest asked. “Did you tell anyone else?”

“A few months, I guess? And of course not, I would never share it without your permission.”

“Why didn’t you say something to us?” Miyeon looked as if she couldn’t understand why Yuqi hadn’t immediately confronted them.

Yuqi shrugged again. “I was kind of hoping you’d eventually be comfortable enough to talk to me.” There was a hint of sadness in her voice, and both of the other girls picked up on it.

“We’re sorry, Yuqi unnie. We just didn’t know how you’d react.” Shuhua made one of her trademark puppy-eyed faces. “Forgive us?” Miyeon was silent, looking at the floor.

“Of course. Always. I love you both, I hope you know that.” Yuqi gave Shuhua a silly but pointed look. “Now go take care of your girlfriend for a bit, Shu. She looks like she’s about to shrivel up and die.”

Shuhua jumped up, saluted Yuqi, and promptly dragged Miyeon back to the oldest woman’s bedroom. She opened the door and ushered Miyeon in, turning around to throw Yuqi a wink, and disappeared into the dark room closing the door behind her.

…

Half an hour later, Yuqi lay on her own bed contently munching on a cookie. Shortly after the pair had disappeared into Miyeon’s room, Yuqi had found herself in desperate need of headphones. She'd thought about banging on the wall and yelling at them to keep it down, but she figured they deserved a free pass this time. Besides, it tasted _delicious_. Way better than the usual Miyeon-guilt-flavored sex that she’d gotten used to dealing with.

Yuqi mentally patted herself on the back. _Mission accomplished._

* * *

Most other things stayed the same, at least for the next few days. Shuhua smiled a little more when she was around Yuqi, but they didn’t really get a chance to talk until that Saturday night.

“Girls night!!!” Shuhua burst into Yuqi’s room with a bowl of popcorn and her laptop.

Fortunately, Yuqi had just been scrolling through her SNS feeds on her bed fully clothed. “Oh my god Shu! _Knock_ please, I could’ve been naked.” She frowned. “Also, these are girls’ dorms. It’s always girls night.” Undeterred, the youngest hopped up on to her bed and plopped down next to her.

“It’s not always girls night with youuuuuuu!” Shuhua cooed.

“Ugh whatever.” Yuqi scooted over to make more room for Shuhua. “Are we watching a movie?”

“Um. Duh.” Shuhua pointed at the popcorn.

“It was a rhetorical question.”

“I don’t think that means what you think it means.”

“I don’t think it means what _you_ think it means.”

“Oh my god _unnieeee_ , shut up. What do you want to watch?”

Yuqi shrugged. “I dunno. Something… fun I guess?”

“Exactly what I was thinking. Something gay and _angsty_.”

That wasn’t exactly what Yuqi had said but… sure. Shuhua chose something with a healthy amount of the usual tropes and hit play.

Shuhua lasted exactly sixty seconds into the movie before she turned to Yuqi, excitement in her eyes. “So. Are you dating anyone?”

“Ummm… no?”

“Well do you like anyone?" She paused, scrunching her brows. "No, let me guess. It’s Soyeon, right?”

“Aren’t we supposed to be… watching the movie?” Yuqi gestured at the laptop screen.

“Unnie, it’s a _girls night_.” Shuhua had an exasperated look on her face, as if Yuqi was somehow supposed to understand what that meant.

“Uhhh… okay then. No, I don’t like Soyeon.” She cut off Shuhua’s next question. “Or Minnie, or Soojin.”

Shuhua looked confused. “But then…” a tragic look appeared in her eyes. “I’m sorry unnie, Miyeon and I don’t like you that way…”

“Oh my _god_ Yeh Shuhua. It’s not any of you.”

“Aha! I got you! You admitted you like someone.” Yuqi started to deny it, but Shuhua cut her off. “You said ‘ _It’s_ not any of you’, not ‘I don’t like any of you.’ That means there is someone.” Shuhua looked triumphant. _Damn, she’s devious._

“Fine. I like somebody. Are you happy?”

Shuhua made gleeful squealing noises. She rolled on her side, staring at Yuqi with excited (and very close) eyes. “Tell me everything. _Details_ please.”

“Ugh.” Yuqi had gone from enjoying a perfectly boring evening to… whatever _this_ was. “Fine. But it doesn’t matter, I think she’s straight.”

“Oh. Like, _straight_ straight?”

Yuqi snorted. “As opposed to what? _Miyeon_ straight?”

Shuhua whacked Yuqi in the shoulder. “That’s not funnyyyy… you have no idea what I have to deal withhhh…” She sulked. “Can you even imagine what it feels to have your girlfriend insist that she’s straight when you’ve just given each other like _five_ orgasms in a row?” Yuqi made a face, but she had to admit that, based on the evidence she’d tasted, Shuhua wasn’t actually exaggerating much.

“Give her a break, Shu. It’s not that easy to figure this stuff out when you’re an idol. Or, like, even a regular person. She’ll get where she’s going eventually.”

“I knowwww… I just want her to be sure about me.”

Yuqi sighed. “Obviously I’m just going off of what I’ve…” _Tasted._ “…seen… but it seems like she _is_ pretty sure about you. Even if she’s not sure about other stuff.”

This appeased Shuhua a little bit. “Thanks unnie.” She suddenly scowled. “Now stop changing the subject! Details!”

Yuqi took a deep breath and thought to herself. “She’s… kind.”

“… kind?”

“Yeah. And she’s there when I need her.”

Shuhua raised an eyebrow.

“And I feel like I can talk with her about anything.”

“Sooooo… is she… like… hot?”

Yuqi glared. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Shu.”

Shuhua huffed indignantly, as if she felt like _the gutter_ was a very appropriate place for her mind to be, but she rephrased. “Okay _fine_. Is she pretty?”

“She has a smile…”

Shuhua waited for Yuqi to finish, but apparently that was the end of the statement. Yuqi was lost in thought.

“She has a smile. That’s nice. Good for her. I’m glad we had this incredibly informative conversation.”

Yuqi was still staring off into space. “Mmmmmh.”

Shuhua punched Yuqi in the shoulder.

“Ooof. Hey, what was that for?”

“So you think she’s straight. Are you sure?”

“Well…”

“ _Well_?”

“I did see her checking me out a couple of times.” Yuqi had actually _tasted_ the checking-out, but close enough.

“Aha! Now you just need to seduce her!”

“I don’t think --”

“And I will be your teacher.”

“I’m sorry, Yeh Shuhua is going to teach _me_ how to seduce women?”

“Ahem, excuse me, I have, like, crazy skills. I seduced _Cho Miyeon_.” She stared at Yuqi as if awaiting acknowledgement of her accomplishment.

Yuqi groaned. “Gross.”

“Well, apparently something’s wrong with your taste because my girlfriend is _gorgeous_ , but I’m gonna help you anyway. I’ll teach you my battle-tested five step method…”

* * *

Yuqi’s evening didn’t improve much from there. She spent almost half an hour trying to get Shuhua distracted enough to change the subject but eventually gave up about halfway through Shuhua’s explanation of a seduction strategy called “Shock and Awe”. Shuhua finally finished her _presentation_ , promptly closing the laptop and completely ignoring the fact that the movie was still going. “Go forth and conquer, my young padawan,” Shuhua said as she walked out the door.

Yuqi did not understand the point of girls night at all.

A moment later, her phone buzzed with a notification.  
  


**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _I miss my baby Yuqi…_

Yeonjae had attached an absolutely _adorable_ picture of herself in pajamas in… a different bed? Was Yeonjae texting her from some random guy’s bed? Yuqi found herself desperately hoping that it was just the other apartment Yeonjae had mentioned.

Yuqi spent five minutes rapidly testing different selca poses. She was a professional selca-taker (literally) but felt a bit of extra pressure this time. She chose a pose lying on her stomach on her bed, her face taking up most of the shot.

 ** _  
Favorite Not-Demon_** ( **송우기** **)  
**_i miss my favorite unnie too  
_

  
Yuqi had high selca-standards, but even she had to admit that she was looking exceptionally cute.

 ** _  
Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Your favorite? Even more than Soyeon_

 _  
__Soyeon? Why is everyone talking about Soyeon all of a sudden?_ Yeonjae sent a picture back mirroring Yuqi’s pose but with a side-eyed face that was still unbearably adorable.  
  


**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
**_why soyeon?_ 😬  
  


**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _I watched some videos about you  
_ _They always ship you with her_

 ** _  
Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
**_oh  
__gross_

  
  
Yuqi sent a selca with her nose adorably wrinkled in mock disgust.

  
  


**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _i love soyeon unnie but she’s not my type  
  
_

**_  
Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Sooner or later you’re gonna have to tell me what your type really is_

  
  
Yuqi was _definitely_ not ready for that conversation.  
  
  
  


**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _are you in your other apartment?  
  
_

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Yes  
_ _Self-care Saturday  
_ _Took a long bath earlier  
_ _And don’t think I didn’t notice you changing the subject Song Yuqi  
  
_

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
**👿  
  


**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Fine, I’ll let you off the hook this time  
_ _Because I’m such a nice unnie_

 _  
  
_  
Yuqi was struggling not to imagine bath scenes. But actually… _imagining is okay, right? I deserve a reward after surviving Shuhua’s girls night_. Her hand drifted downward slightly. _No. Bad Yuqi. Save that for later when you’re not in the middle of texting her. Imagining only._

_  
  
_

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Can we have a girls night soon?_

  
  
Yuqi suddenly found herself far more interested in the concept of girls night.

  
  


**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _what do we do at girls night?_

 _  
__  
  
_The idea of a long bath and… mutual self-care popped into her head.  
  
  


**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Drinking and eating too much and gossip probably  
_ _And I want to dress you up a little  
_ _I have some things that I think would look perfect on you_

 _  
  
_That sounded a lot better than Shuhua’s idea of a girls night.  
  
  
  


**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _okay  
_ _as long as I get to order the food_ 😈  
  


**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Deal  
_ _My apartment, next Friday?  
_ _This apartment, the real one. Much bigger closet.  
  
_

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _it’s a date  
  
_

  
Yeonjae replied with a picture of herself sprawled on her side, a mock-seductive look on her face.  
  
  


**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _I promise I’ll be on my best behavior  
  
_

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _;)  
_ _unnie why are you so adorable when you send me selcas  
_ _but your insta is so[professional](https://www.instagram.com/yeonjae_son/) and boring  
  
_

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _I’m a businesswoman now, Yuqi  
_ _My image is a little different from yours  
  
  
_

  
Yuqi did have to admit that seeing Yeonjae in a [blazer](https://scontent-bos3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/p1080x1080/120736993_189962219256199_6030561792732821844_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-bos3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=107&_nc_ohc=AzwVfCUg4SQAX--Dy0U&tp=1&oh=29c6913ac51efff9115181edf1a7c9c2&oe=60369598) was not at all an unpleasant experience. _Jesus Yuqi, stop being so thirsty. You can wait five minutes.  
  
  
  
_

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _so that means your adorable side is just for me?  
  
_

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _All for my Yuqi baby_

  
Yuqi wasn’t at all sure she liked that nickname, but she’d allow it for now.  
  
  
  


**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _i’m fine with that  
_ _but maybe on friday i’ll get you drunk and make you post something cute  
  
_

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Not a chance_ 👅  
_See you Friday_ ❤️

 ** _Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
**❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

Yuqi flopped backwards on to her pillow and allowed Thirsty Yuqi to emerge. _Reward time._

* * *

That next Wednesday afternoon, Yuqi found herself on Moonbyul’s radio show being interviewed with her group members. Moonbyul’s show wasn’t part of the traditional publicity tour. It definitely played to a more niche audience than the usual radio shows. Yuqi had always found herself drawn to the older woman, though. Probably something about her confidence.

Moonbyul mostly asked expected questions, though she focused a little bit more about the girls’ personal achievements. Yuqi wasn’t terribly surprised when Moonbyul turned to her to ask her about her own “LEARN WAY” series.

“So next we’ll get ask some questions for Korea’s most eager student. We’ve all watched Yuqi-ssi learn many things we always wanted to learn ourselves. Tell us, Yuqi-ssi, what has been your favorite so far?”

Yuqi nodded politely at Moonbyul, acknowledging the attention.

“Ah, such a difficult question. There have been so many exciting things and I’ve been lucky to have very skilled teachers. I think…” Yuqi pretended to think for a moment, her answer already prepared. “It was very exciting to have so many amazing animals around me when I went to learn about the [zoo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00L672Fc7rU). I think zookeepers are lucky to make such interesting animal friends.” She scrunched up her face in a well-practiced expression. “But I think it would be a difficult job for me. The animals make so much poop!”

Most of her group-mates already had images where it was funny for them to make poop jokes, but Yuqi had definitely earned the right after having posted a video where she spent a solid chunk of the time literally practicing her poop-shoveling.

Moonbyul chuckled, her face breaking out into a grin. “Oh, that sounds difficult for sure. We all thank the zookeepers for their hard work.” She checked her script. “It seems that our viewers have sent in a few questions. Would you like to read the first one?”

“Oh, okay.” Yuqi turned her eyes to the screen in front of her. “Listener 4378 says, ‘Neverland is always excited to see a new episode of Yuqi’s amazing series. Can you tell us if you have used any of your new skills in your daily life?’” Another question Yuqi had prepared for. “Oh, I have used a lot of them. I have been practicing my [comedy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88urqMyQ93A) skills with my members, and I think they will all confirm that I am becoming even more funny.”

Her members snorted and rolled their eyes. “Please don’t believe her,” Shuhua chimed in, “I’m by far the funniest.”

“Both of our youngest have been practicing their comedy very much,” Miyeon added, joking in her soft, silly way. “Sometimes our managers have to remind them to stop practicing and remember to go to their schedules.”

Moonbyul responded with a practiced chuckle. “We should always be thankful for our managers. Shuhua, since you have been such a good practice partner for Yuqi, would you like to read the next question?”

“Oh, where do I look?” Soojin pointed Shuhua toward the monitor where the questions were listed. “Listener 2967 says, ‘All of Yuqi’s fans were filled with joy watching her give her cuteness to…’” Shuhua slowed down for a moment, eyes gleaming in sudden realization… ‘”… to Son Yeonjae. Yuqi-ssi, can you tell us your favorite things about Korea’s fairy?’”

Yuqi looked at the screen with sudden confusion. The question on the screen was just asking about whether Yeonjae would help her prepare for her next ISAC competition, but Shuhua had substituted her own question. _I’m going to murder her_. The other group members looked a little bit confused too, but Moonbyul showed no cracks in her professional façade other than perhaps the tiniest glint of delight in her eyes.

“Oh… well…” Yuqi quickly regained her composure. “Yeonjae-ssi was very kind to me and patient with my mistakes. I think she is an excellent teacher.”

“It seems like many more listeners are curious about what it was like to work with Son Yeonjae.” Moonbyul seemed to think for some reason that it was a good idea to keep pulling this thread. “I will read the next question. Listener 1345 says, ‘Song Yuqi and Son Yeonjae have become the cutest celebrity pair of the new year. Does Yuqi have a message she would like to say to her _unnie_?’”

Yuqi stared at Moonbyul, then back at the screen. There was no ‘Listener 1345’ listed. _Oh my god. This has to be breaking a contract somehow._ Even the staff seemed a little confused at the question. Only Yuqi’s years of idol training were saving her from having a public breakdown.

“Oh… well…”

“You can look in the camera over there,” Moonbyul pointed at the one that had been positioned for close-up shots.

 _Fuuuuuckk_. “I would just like to say to… _unnie_ …” With the camera focused on Yuqi, Moonbyul was no longer bothering to hide her amusement. Yuqi’s mind frantically whirred through the canned lines she’d practiced, trying to find one that was appropriate for this… situation. “I would be always grateful if you would buy your favorite student lots of good food… and help me win my next rhythmic gymnastics competition for my group.” _Whew. Good save._ She threw a finger-heart at the camera for good measure.

“Ah, I know that all of us here will hope that Yuqi will be fed very well by her unnie.” Moonbyul smiled at Yuqi. “Next, I think our viewers will be excited to hear about Soyeon’s newest collaboration…”

Yuqi sank down into her seat as far as she could manage. She hoped against hope that Yeonjae wasn’t watching.

…

Moonbyul cornered Yuqi in the green room after the interview.

“Oh, Moonbyul-ssi, thank you for inviting us on your show, it was so nice of you to think of us.”

Moonbyul chuckled. “I hope you had fun. I definitely did. I want you to know that all of us are rooting for you with your new... _friendship_.” She looked supremely amused at Yuqi's discomfort.

Yuqi nodded and bowed, eyes darting side to side, and turned to try to escape, but Moonbyul interjected one more time. “I’ll look forward to seeing much more of you two together.” she said, finally stepping aside and allowing Yuqi to make a hasty exit.

Yuqi blushed furiously and silently for the entire ride back to her dorm.

* * *

“So I saw you on Moonbyul’s radio show.” For some reason, Yeonjae had waited until she and Yuqi were each a full bottle of soju into their night to bring up this _disturbing_ fact. “How did your _unnie_ do with buying you good food tonight?”

Yuqi blushed, but she was too buzzed to feel embarrassed for very long. “Oh my god, they teased me so much about that. Those questions about you weren’t real questions you know, Shuhua and Moonbyul-ssi made them up on the spot. It was _horrible_.” She took another gulp from her glass, wincing.

Yeonjae looked impressed. “Your answers were very smooth.”

“I’m a professional.” Yuqi put on a mock-proud expression.

“Clearly.” Yeonjae sniffed, her face scrunching up. “I was kind of hoping for an unprofessional answer, but I’ll definitely get my answers tonight.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

_That doesn’t sound good._

The two of them were seated at a table in Yeonjae’s living room with several mostly-empty food delivery cartons spread across the table in front of them. “I’ve fed you and now I’m getting you drunk and I’m pretty sure that means I’ve earned some ask-Yuqi-anything time.”

“I think we’ve covered most of the succubus science, unnie…”

“No science this time. I want _Yuqi_ secrets.”

_Oh god._

“Tell me about your first kiss.”

 _Well, that one’s not too hard_. “It was dumb, a boy on the playground when I was just a little kid. Somebody said it was what adults do, and we were playing a game where we were acting like grownups so it made sense to do it. It was gross.” Yuqi wrinkled her nose at the memory.

“Well, at least it’s sort of cute.”

“Disagree.”

“Okay fine, what was the first kiss you actually _liked_?”

_Uhhhh…_

Yeonjae seemed to notice Yuqi’s hesitation. “Wait, have you never had a real kiss?”

“No no no, I have, it’s just…” _Now’s as good a time as any._ “It was with a girl at a sleepover. It was a dare.”

“Oh. Did she kiss you back?”

 _Wait, no questions about the kissing girls part?_ “Uhhh not really. Everyone was watching.” A pause. “Aren’t you surprised that… like…?”

“That what?” Yeonjae wasn’t getting the hint somehow.

“That I… That I like kissing girls.”

“Oh.” Yeonjae looked confused. “No, not at all. I figured you were okay with any gender because of the succubus thing.”

“Ummm… not exactly…”

“Hmmm?” Yeonjae furrowed her brow.

Yuqi took a deep breath. “I’m gay, Yeonjae. I only like women.”

“Oh,” Yeonjae said, “but you said…”

“Yeah I know, I can get energy from eating anyone’s sexual energy. I just don’t want to do sex stuff with guys… personally.” She shrugged, fumbling for a better explanation. An idea hit her. “It’s like… chocolate pudding is great, right? We can all eat it and like it. But you can like it without wanting to…” the metaphor suddenly seemed less-than-optimal.

“Without wanting to date it, or have sex with it?” Yeonjae finished, very amused.

“Uhhh… yeah… maybe not the best comparison.”

“Well, I’m not sure I totally get it, but if that’s how you feel then I support you.” Yeonjae raised her glass. “Cheers to kisses with beautiful girls.”

Yuqi hesitated, a little confused, but raised her glass to clink it with Yeonjae’s. “Cheers.”

“Okay, next question.” She thought for a moment, then her face turned a bit more serious. “Did you make any progress with your friends?”

Yuqi thought for a moment. “Yeah, I think we’re making progress. I followed your advice.”

Yeonjae clapped her hands together in excitement. “I’m so proud of you! And myself too, for being the best unnie ever.” She took a sip, pondering. “Can you tell me which of your secrets you shared? It’s fine if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s okay. I told them that I’m gay.”

“You told all of your group members?” Yeonjae asked, clearly surprised.

“No, just two of—hey wait, I didn’t say anything about group members. That’s cheating.”

“Ah, I get it now.” Yeonjae nodded sagely. “That was the secret they were keeping from you, that they were together, right? But you already knew because you could taste it.” She paused for a moment, then looked at Yuqi with tipsy excitement. “Is it Soojin and Shuhua? No, that’s too obvious. Minnie and…”

“Boundaries, unnie, boundaries!” Yuqi interjected.

Yeonjae sat back and nodded. “Sorry, right. Okay, I’ll change my question. I think this one is fair because it’s not asking about any of their secrets, just yours. Have you ever had a crush on any of them? Your groupmates?”

“Hmmm… Okay, I guess that’s fair. And no, I’ve never had a serious crush on any of them. Just little crushes when I first met some of them. They’re gorgeous and talented and everything. I was always gonna crush on at least a couple of them a little bit.”

“Good. You’re all mine, then.”

As much as Yuqi liked that idea in principle, she couldn’t help but feel a little hurt. The older woman was already playing with her emotions, even if unintentionally, and this one seemed too far across the line. She tried to hide her hurt expression.

Yeonjae reached out her hand. “Here, give me your phone.”

“Why do you want my phone?” Yuqi asked, a little bit of distrust in her voice.

“Unnie privilege.”

Yuqi was suspicious, but some (very stupid) part of her wanted to see where this was going. She handed her phone over with a serious look on her face. “Don’t do anything dumb, ok?” A moment later, Yeonjae was making very strange faces at Yuqi’s phone.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m taking a selca for your lock screen.”

“Hey!” Yuqi swiped at the phone, but Yeonjae dodged.

“Almost there... got it!” She allowed Yuqi’s next swipe to take the phone back.

Yuqi looked at the screen, her brow furrowed. “You didn’t change my lock screen.”

“I lied.”

“Unnie… what did you do??” Yeonjae just smirked, and suddenly Yuqi’s Instagram notification count was soaring. “Ohhh noooo…” She opened the app in a panic. Yuqi's newest post was a silly picture of the upper half of Yeonjae’s face from a low, goofy angle with the caption, ‘Guess who’. Yuqi gasped. “I can’t keep this up! I have to delete it! My company is gonna go nuts!”

Yeonjae’s smirk only grew. “If you delete it, it’ll be even worse.”

Yuqi knew she was right. “But unnieeeee…”

“Do you think people will ship the two of us more than you and Soyeon now? I hope so.”

_They actually might, and that’s exactly the problem._

Yeonjae stood up from the table. “Finish your glass, Yuqi. Then we’ll go play dress-up.”

…

Five minutes later, Yeonjae was still digging around in her closet. Yuqi stood outside in the older woman’s bedroom, her heart beating unusually fast and a heat in her cheeks. Yeonjae’s room tasted like… definitely a lot of Yeonjae by herself, but also with a man. Two different men? Yuqi couldn’t tell. The man-tastes had (mercifully) almost faded away.

Yeonjae suddenly reappeared, staggering under the weight of a small mountain of clothes. She plopped them all down on her bed and bounced a little bit out of excitement. “Hmmm,” she said, looking over the pile. “What shall we try first?” She pulled out a dress that was a very daring shade of magenta. “I could never really pull this one off, but maybe you can.” She thrust it into Yuqi’s arms and pointed to the closet. “You can change in there.”

Yuqi wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about being a doll. Still, the complicated pool of emotions in her stomach was pushing her to go along with it, to see where this all went. She quickly slipped out of her own clothes and into the dress. It actually fit reasonably well.

Yeonjae frowned when Yuqi emerged. “Well…” She looked disappointed. “I guess you can’t pull it off either.” She shrugged. “Next!” She handed Yuqi a long, coffee colored dress and a loose-fitting white knit sweater.

“Uhhh… Yeonjae unnie? I don’t think I can wear this to my schedules…”

“Hush. We’re not planning your outfit for _tomorrow_ , we’re finding your _look_.”

“I already have like a million stylists who –”

“Yeah, but now you have _me_.”

 _Please let this torture end_. Yuqi was starting to think that Shuhua’s girls night hadn’t been so bad after all. She quickly changed and re-emerged.

“Hmmm… not so much. It’s more my style than yours.” She paused to look over the pile again. “Ah, here. Definitely this.” Yeonjae handed her a soft white blouse with a hanging black bow tie, and then a knee-length pencil skirt.

 _Well, this one’s actually not that bad._ She quickly changed, a pile of rejected outfits starting to grow on the floor of the closet.

Yeonjae hummed softly, her eyes narrowing. “Still missing something. Wait a second, I’ll be right back.” Yeonjae returned a moment later with a slim-fit black blazer. Yuqi recognized it from Yeonjae’s Instagram. Yuqi’s breath hitched as Yeonjae leaned in to wrap it around her shoulders. “Perfect,” Yeonjae said, her voice suddenly a bit softer and a look on her face that Yuqi didn’t recognize. “Here, look.” Yeonjae put her hands on Yuqi’s shoulders, gently turning her to face a mirror on the wall.

But Yuqi’s attention wasn’t on her outfit. It was on Yeonjae’s face reflected in the mirror right next to hers, her hands still on Yuqi’s shoulders. Yeonjae wasn’t looking at Yuqi’s outfit either. She was looking directly into Yuqi’s reflected eyes, the strange look still on her face. It wasn’t confusion, and it wasn’t nervousness either. It was… hesitation? Yeonjae’s hands finally left Yuqi’s shoulders, but instead of pulling back, Yeonjae let her hands move slowly, _agonizingly_ slowly, down to rest on Yuqi’s hips. Yuqi’s heart was pounding so hard she was sure it was making her whole body shake. _Is she…?_

Yuqi turned around slowly to face Yeonjae, her body now only inches away. Yeonjae didn’t step back, instead taking Yuqi’s hands in hers.

“Hey,” Yeonjae said quietly.

“Hey,” Yuqi replied, almost choking on the word.

“Is it ok if…” Yeonjae offered a shy smile.

Yuqi nodded, eyes wide, not trusting herself to speak.

Yeonjae leaned in slowly. Yuqi tilted her head, closed her eyes… and felt the gentlest kiss, Yeonjae’s lips softly moving on hers. And all of a sudden Yuqi was totally lost, totally giving in to Yeonjae. She felt her arms reaching up and wrapping around Yeonjae’s neck, pulling them closer together, their kiss becoming less timid, their lips slowly exploring. Yuqi felt the soft warmth of Yeonjae’s body against her, and Yuqi could tell that Yeonjae’s heart was beating just as fast as hers.

But suddenly Yeonjae pulled away from her as if in shock, raising her to her face and touching her lips, her eyes wide with a look of awe. “Yuqi… _Wow_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please know that I love Miyeon and things will eventually turn out ok for her in this fic, she just has a lot of stuff to figure out for herself first and she’s gonna be a little unpleasant until she does. 
> 
> Next chapter will probably take a few days. I started it, but life is getting busy with other stuff.


	5. She showed me all the stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeonjae started to speak, but Yuqi already had a question on the tip of her tongue. “Are you experimenting with me right now? Did you just want to see what I’d be like?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had been giving chapters titles according to the BPM of idle songs, but I realized they're almost all within like 30 BPM of each other so it didn't really have the flavor I wanted it to, so I just switched them all to English lyrics from their songs. Not the most original, but it's the best I could come up with.
> 
> Also I've never worn contacts so I'm not 100% sure how they work, but I think I got it right-ish?
> 
> CW for brief mentions of past parental abandonment/neglect, but it's talked about pretty gently and in a safe environment.

“ _Wow?_ ” It wasn’t quite the response Yuqi had expected, but it _seemed_ like a good one? But why did Yeonjae pull away? _Oh, maybe…_ “Was that your first kiss with a girl?”

“What? Oh, no, not at all. It’s just…”

 _I’m sorry, what?_ That was an unexpected revelation. “Oh… I thought you thought you were straight.” The words were out of Yuqi’s mouth before she realized exactly what she’d said.

“Ummm…” Yeonjae narrowed her eyes. “I’m pretty sure that’s an offensive thing to say.”

“But you kept talking about guys, and I know you dated some…”

“I’ve been with girls too, just never dated any.”

 _Oh._ “Oh. Then why did you just… pull away?”

“It was just…” Yeonjae looked like she was trying to come up with words. “Warm?”

Yuqi wasn’t seeing where this was going. “Are lips not supposed to be warm? Cause I’m _pretty sure_ they are.” A confused look spread across her face.

“No, it was like…” Yeonjae sighed. She looked down at Yuqi’s lips. “Can I?”

Yuqi suddenly felt a little bit like a science experiment, but she wasn’t about to say no. She nodded, and Yeonjae leaned in again and kissed her tentatively, as if exploring. “No, it didn’t happen that time. I think maybe it needs to be natural?”

“Yeonjae unnie, can you please tell me what’s going on? This is all… really confusing right now.” Yuqi’s expression was starting to get more frustrated.

“Ah, I’m sorry.” Yeonjae motioned toward the bed. “Is it… okay if we sit?” Yuqi slowly walked over to sit on the end of the bed, and Yeonjae joined her. Yuqi suddenly felt like the lights in Yeonjae’s bedroom were too bright for this sort of conversation, but she didn’t want to be the one to turn them off.

Yeonjae started to speak, but Yuqi already had a question on the tip of her tongue. “Are you experimenting with me right now? Did you just want to see what I’d be like?”

“No! Not at all. I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel that way.” Yeonjae reached out her hand, and Yuqi hesitated, but took it. “It’s just… the kiss was different. Normal at first…” Yuqi frowned. “I mean, amazing,” Yeonjae quickly corrected, “but normal. But then it got different all of a sudden. Really warm, like, all over. It kind of felt like I was floating a little bit. I think maybe it’s cause of the succubus… stuff?” She looked unsure. “I just know that I’ve never had a kiss like that before.”

That seemed possible, but Yuqi still felt hurt. “So… this is just… for fun then?”

“Oh my god, no, not at all. I _like_ you, Yuqi. I’ve known that for a while now, and I’ve been flirting with you for like, almost _two weeks_ now. I thought you… knew.”

 _Wait, what?_ _How did I miss that?_ “That’s not possible. I would have known.” This wasn’t making any sense. She’d caught a couple of little tastes from Yeonjae here and there, but…

“Maybe… maybe because I wasn’t really thinking about sex that much when I was with you, more just flirting? You said you could only tell when people were into each other sexually, right? Most of the time when I was… thinking about you sexually… it was when we weren’t together, so you wouldn’t have felt it then.”

Yuqi thought about their texts from a few nights earlier, when she’d barely managed to keep her hand out of her pajamas until after they’d stopped texting. The idea that Yeonjae might have been doing the same thing was… suddenly kind of overwhelming.

Yeonjae suddenly looked very concerned. “If you didn’t realize, then… I thought because you knew… are you okay with this?” She let go of Yuqi’s hand. “I just thought…”

 _Wait! No! That’s not what I meant._ She took Yeonjae’s hand back, trying to calm the voice inside her head. “No, I definitely like you too. I just want to make sure you really like me for _me_ , not for…” She cringed, a sheepish look on her face. “Magic… sex… powers?”

Yeonjae giggled a soft giggle. “No, I _definitely_ like you for you. You don’t have to worry about that at all, okay? And we don’t have to kiss any more if you don’t want. I’ll be sad, but I’ll respect your choice.”

 _What the fuck Yuqi, kiss her. You’re literally on Son Yeonjae’s bed holding her hand and somehow you just made her apologize for kissing you._ “Ummm… maybe we can try kissing a little more?”

Yeonjae smiled, gently but warmly. “Yes, definitely. Now scoot. Oh, can you…” She motioned to the blazer.

“Oh. Yeah.” Yuqi wasn’t quite ready to start stripping _everything_ off, but the blazer would definitely get in the way. She took it off quickly and laid it down flat at the foot of the bed. Yeonjae stood up slowly. “Is it alright if I…” she motioned toward the lights. Yuqi nodded, a little bit relieved. With a flick of the switch, the room was suddenly filled with a soft darkness, only illuminated by the Seoul city lights glowing through the windows.

Yeonjae guided Yuqi fully down on to the bed and lay her on her side with her head on one of the pillows. She lay down facing Yuqi, her head the other pillow. Yeonjae smiled softly, one hand resting lightly on Yuqi’s hip, and suddenly she was leaning in. Their lips touched again, still moving slowly, but more confidently this time. Yuqi tilted her head, deepening the kiss. Yeonjae’s tongue ran tentatively across Yuqi’s bottom lip as if asking a question, and Yuqi answered with a tiny gasp. She could feel each one of Yeonjae’s fingertips on her hip. Three of them were touching the thicker fabric of the skirt Yeonjae had given her, but two were separated from her skin by only the soft, flimsy fabric of the blouse. Yuqi’s senses, both human and succubus, were starting to catch fire.

Yeonjae pulled away again, a surprised look suddenly in her eyes. “Yuqi, were you just… eating me?”

In other circumstances Yuqi might have felt self-conscious, but right now she was absolutely _drunk_ on Yeonjae’s touches and smells and… _tastes_. _Oh my god_. “Yeah, I guess I was.” She was starting to fade back into reality, and a concerned look appeared on her face. “Is that… okay?”

Yeonjae nodded, giving Yuqi a look of uncertainty crossed with wonder. “I can feel you, like, radiating energy. It feels amazing.” Her eyes suddenly narrowed. “It’s safe, right? It won’t hurt me? The eating part?”

“Yeah, definitely, you don’t have to worry. I think I’m just… eating what you’d already normally be… I’m not eating anything inside you, just what you’re, like…” She waved her free hand helplessly. “Giving off? Sorry, that sounds gross.”

“Oh,” Yeonjae considered this for a moment. “Then eat all you like.”

Yuqi didn’t need to be told twice. In an instant she was on Yeonjae’s lips again, putting her arm on Yeonjae’s back and pulling her in, kissing her deeply. There was nothing tentative about this kiss, and when she heard a moan coming from Yeonjae, Yuqi’s world flashed twenty different colors in an instant. Yuqi found her hands trying to burrow their way up under Yeonjae’s shirt, _desperate_ for more of the woman’s delicious warmth, but she felt Yeonjae’s hands on hers, guiding them back down to rest on her clothed hips. “You’re… amazing… Yuqi,” Yeonjae whispered breathlessly in between kisses, “but…”

Yuqi pulled away. “Sorry, too fast, I know.” Yeonjae nodded a small nod, confirming. “You’re just… _really_ hard to resist. Like, _delicious_ ,” Yuqi said, sighing. “It’s like…” She struggled to come up with an analogy that Yeonjae could understand. “It’s like I just walked into a room where _TWICE_ just finished having an _orgy_.”

Yeonjae pulled away, a sudden shocked look in her eyes. “Do they _do_ that? Like… all of them together?”

“Wouldn’t _you_ like to know,” Yuqi teased, wiggling her eyebrows. “And no, not as far as I know.” She paused. “But I’m pretty sure I tasted a boy group having a circle jerk one time.” Yeonjae gasped in excitement, but Yuqi elaborated quickly. “It wasn’t as exciting as you’d think. Too much shame mixed in with the sex parts. I wish they’d all be less afraid about these things. There’s nothing wrong with getting a helping hand from a friend.”

Yeonjae snorted, agreeing. “Isn’t that the truth though.” She looked intently into Yuqi’s eyes. “But… just kisses? For now?”

“Yeah, okay. You’re right, slow is probably better. Just kisses.” She shot Yeonjae a questioning look. “Lots of kisses though?”

“Lots of kisses sounds perfect,” Yeonjae said, her voice sweet but filled with desire. She leaned in again, slowly giving herself to Yuqi’s warm, radiant embrace.

…

There were, in fact, a _lot_ of kisses. By the time they finally finished, collapsing into the bed, exhausted, Yuqi felt _fuller_ than she could ever remember. “That was an absolute _feast_ ,” she said, taking a long, slow, satisfied breath.

“But… your… human parts liked it too, right…? Not just for the sex feelings?” Yeonjae asked with an uncertain look. She didn’t seem to mind being both dinner and dessert, but there was a hint of worry in her eyes.

“ _So_ much, believe me. Everything about that was amazing.” The two of them were both lying flat on their backs, heads on their pillows, holding hands and staring at the ceiling. The darkness of the room and the glow of the city lights mixed to wrap them in a gentle peacefulness.

A thought suddenly occurred to Yeonjae. “Will we have to sneak you back into your dorm again?”

“No, I told everyone that I was probably going to drink with you till late, and they were okay with me staying. We can sleep in a little bit?” She curled up a bit, attempting to attach herself to Yeonjae’s back.

“Okay, I’d like that.” Yeonjae smiled a sweet but flirty smile. “And nope, you’re definitely little spoon.” Yeonjae poked Yuqi until the younger girl rolled over with only a token protest. Yuqi definitely didn’t mind having _Son Yeonjae_ giving her a full-body back hug.

“We should probably change into pajamas,” Yeonjae eventually said, reluctantly breaking their cuddle-hold. “As much as I _definitely_ don’t want to get up right now, we’re gonna be super uncomfortable sleeping in these.” Yuqi grunted in annoyance, but reluctantly sat up. Yeonjae rolled to the side of the bed, stood up, and disappeared back into her closet for a moment, returning wearing pajamas and holding a second pair. “I’m gonna go wash up. You can join me when you’re changed?”

A few minutes later they were in the bathroom together getting ready for bed. “Do you have contact solution? Is it okay if I…?” She gestured at her eyes.

“Of course.”

After removing her lenses, Yuqi shyly raised her eyes to look at Yeonjae. “Real me,” she said, gesturing at her eyes. She shrugged sheepishly. Yeonjae had almost forgotten about Yuqi’s succubus eyes, having only caught a tiny glimpse their first afternoon in her apartment.

“I’m glad. The real you is the you that I want.”

And the real Yuqi was what Yeonjae got a few moments later. Yuqi’s eyes suddenly pulsed with a low red glow, and Yeonjae followed Yuqi’s gaze into the mirror. “Were you just… checking out my butt?” She said with a mixture of delight and excitement.

“Eeep!” Yuqi squealed in embarrassment and rushed to cover her eyes, closing them tightly. “This is so unfair.”

Yeonjae gently removed Yuqi’s hands from over her eyes. “No shame, okay? She leaned in to give Yuqi a gentle kiss, the taste of toothpaste on her lips. “And I do have a pretty cute butt,” she added, wiggling a bit and enjoying Yuqi’s reaction. Her eyes were glowing a brighter red, reacting to Yeonjae’s kiss, but slowly faded back into their normal dark brown with just a hint of red. “Beautiful,” Yeonjae said, putting her hands on Yuqi’s hips again. “Now go get in my bed.”

Yuqi stood up straight, making herself herself as tall as possible, and put on a serious face and saluted Yeonjae. She scurried out of the bathroom and launched herself onto Yeonjae’s bed, buried under the covers within moments. Yeonjae joined her a minute later, Yuqi’s eyes glowing as Yeonjae slid in next to her. Yeonjae giggled at the sight. “You’re thinking about what’s under my pajamas right now aren’t you?” she asked with a flirty smile.

“ _Unnieee_ …”

“Hush, now we’re even. You know I’m thinking about the same thing.”

“Yeah but…”

Yeonjae shushed her again. “I don’t mind. If you were lying here next to me and _not_ thinking at least a little bit about me naked, I think I’d be offended.” She paused, thinking. “But you’re not getting into my pants until we have at least a couple of real dates, okay?”

Yuqi’s eyes widened in surprise. “You want… that?”

“The sex or the dates?” She smiled. “The answer is probably yes to both, I just want the dates first.” She took Yuqi’s hand and held it between them. “We’ll take it slow for a little while and if we decide it isn’t working then we can figure out where to go from there, okay? Just take me for coffee or dinner or something and we’ll see how it feels.” Her finger absentmindedly traced lines into Yuqi’s palm. “And if it turns out that we really want to make it a thing, we can talk about how to make it work in a way that’s right for both of us.”

Yuqi nodded. The idea was a little overwhelming and scary, but she felt safe with Yeonjae.

“I want to meet your friends too though,” Yeonjae added. “It doesn’t have to be right away, but… I want to get to know the people who are important to you.”

That seemed like a reasonable thing to ask, but the idea of, for example, _Shuhua_ meeting Yeonjae was terrifying. Maybe another one of her members? Soojin was really shy with new people at first, so it would probably be best to introduce her as part of a small group, but Minnie would be a safe pick for sure. Soyeon would be okay too. Or… An idea flashed through Yuqi’s head. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”

A mischievous grin suddenly spread across Yeonjae’s face. “So, let’s go back to that part where you were telling me I’m as sexy as nine of the most gorgeous women on the planet put together.”

Yuqi rolled her eyes. “ _Technically_ , I only said it was like if I got to the room _after_ they’d already finished their orgy. If I was _participating_ , then maybe–” Yeonjae poked her sharply in the ribs.

“No orgies with TWICE. Not allowed.” She pondered for a moment. “Unless I’m there too, I guess. I call first dibs on Momo.” It was Yuqi’s turn to give a sharp poke. “Ow! Kidding! Just you, Yuqi, I only want you.” Yeonjae planted a quick kiss on Yuqi’s forehead. And then a much longer kiss on Yuqi’s lips.

“We’re never gonna sleep if you keep doing that, unnie.”

“Do you mind?”

A pause, then a confident reply. “Nope, not at all.”

…

A quiet euphoria warmed Yuqi’s heart as she woke up, the sight of Yeonjae’s sweet, peaceful sleeping face confirming that the previous night was _real_ , not a dream. Yuqi rolled over slowly, taking care not to disturb Yeonjae, studying the older woman’s face. Her hair was adorably messy. Yuqi reached over and pulled the covers up over her a little bit higher. The window shades were drawn, but bits of morning sunlight peeked around the sides to brighten the room a little bit. The dull hum of Seoul traffic many stories below was the only sound aside from Yeonjae’s gentle breathing. _I want every morning to be like this._

She lay there, watching her… _friend_? _Definitely not girlfriend yet._ Time passed slowly, the moments savored. Eventually, maybe after an hour or maybe only a few minutes, Yeonjae began to wake up. She peeked one eye open, spying Yuqi staring at her, and hid her face in her arms. “Nooooo… don’t look at me, I’m grosssss,” she groaned.

Spotting an opening, Yuqi launched herself over to flop on top of Yeonjae. “Yeah, but you’re my favorite gross unnie,” she said, wrapping her arms around the older woman and planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

Yeonjae side-eyed Yuqi, one eye still hidden by her arms. “More favorite than Miyeon?”

“Yes…?”

“She’s really pretty,” Yeonjae sleep-mumbled, somewhere between matter-of-fact and pouting.

“She _is_ pretty, but she’s also a hot mess. And you’re prettier.” Yuqi planted another kiss, this time on Yeonjae’s forehead.

Yeonjae snorted. “I don’t think so.” She paused, stopping to add, “but I’m probably better in bed than her.” She was trying to maintain a pout, but her _supportive unnie_ instincts had been awoken at the phrase ‘hot mess.’ “Does she need…” She tried to come up with a word. “Saving?”

“Maybe. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Hmmmph.” A grunt. Yeonjae accepted this answer.

“Sooooo what should we do today?” Yuqi asked playfully.

“Too early to get up. More sleep. Come back later.” Yeonjae tried to roll over to curl up into a ball, but Yuqi was still starfished onto her.

“Up up up up up!” Yuqi bounced a little.

“Nooooooo you’re actually a demon.”

An idea popped into Yuqi’s head. “Would a demon do… _this_?” She slowly moved her mouth down to Yeonjae’s neck, giving a gentle bite. She received a very satisfying gasp in response.

“I wouldn’t mind it if she did, but… _ohhhh._ ” Yuqi was mixing gentle bites with kisses up and down the side of her neck, almost reaching her collarbone.

“ _Yuqi_ oh my god… you’re such a little monster.”

Yuqi rolled over off of Yeonjae, lying next to her, their faces now a few inches apart. Yuqi had a mischievous look on her face and her eyes were glowing a very noticeable red. Caught in the moment, Yeonjae leaned in, very ready to continue where they’d left off the previous night, but…

Yuqi stopped the kiss attempt with a finger to Yeonjae’s lips. “Feed me.”

Undeterred, Yeonjae rolled on to her back with her arms out wide. “Yes please. Eat as much of me as you like.”

Yuqi rolled her eyes. “You’re delicious, but I need real human food too.”

“Ughh fine…” Yeonjae stretched a slow, mighty stretch, and sat up. “So many demands.” She shuffled off to the bathroom to wash her face. Yuqi watched her go, openly enjoying the view. _I’m the luckiest half-succubus ever._

* * *

Yuqi got back to her dorm late that afternoon after a lengthy mix of both eating Yeonjae and eating with Yeonjae. As soon as she stepped inside though, she was hit by a cloud of angst and anger, a very unwelcome contrast from the morning’s bliss. Miyeon was sitting at the kitchen table, her head buried in her arms, and Shuhua was nowhere to be seen. Miyeon looked up when Yuqi entered, her eyes hopeful for a moment, but then her expression fell. Yuqi could tell she’d been crying. She lowered her head and buried it in her arms again.

Yuqi quickly walked over and leaned over the girl, but Miyeon didn’t move. “Miyeon unnie, what happened? Talk to me, please?” She received only sniffles in response. “Is it Shuhua? Did something happen? Did you fight?”

Miyeon finally lifted her head, a hopeless look on her face. “I messed up.” Tears welled in her eyes, and she raised a sleeve to try to wipe them away.

“Hey, I’ve got you, okay?” Yuqi pulled a chair over and sat down, one hand on Miyeon’s arm and the other on her back, rubbing gently. They sat that way for a while, Miyeon just staring down at the table and sniffling. Finally, she spoke. “I… we were…” she gestured at something. Yuqi wasn’t sure what. “Shu wanted to tell Soojin about…” she gestured again. This time Yuqi understood.

“About you two being together?”

Miyeon nodded a small nod. “And I didn’t want to, but she kept pushing and saying it would be okay and then we went to talk to Soojin and…” She started crying again, harder this time. Yuqi waited, bringing her arms tighter around Miyeon to hold the girl. Miyeon was shaking now with each sob.

“And Soojin asked me if I was… _gay_ … and I said no, and Shu just started yelling at me and Soojin ran away and then…” More sobs. “And then Shuhua ran out and...” She turned to look at Yuqi, a pleading look on her face. “Why am I _like_ this? What’s _wrong_ with me? Why can’t I be what Shu wants?”

“Hey...” Yuqi pulled Miyeon into a hug, the older woman not reacting at first but then slowly wrapping her arms around Yuqi and holding on. After a moment, Yuqi stood up, tugging at Miyeon. “Here. Come. This isn’t the best place for a cry session.” She led a reluctant Miyeon toward their rooms, first toward Miyeon’s room but then, getting a taste from the direction of Miyeon’s bed of what had probably been very good sex earlier that morning, decided that it probably wasn’t the right place. She turned toward her own room.

Miyeon was suddenly apprehensive. “Yuqi, I… I don’t like you like that…”

 _Oh my god, this girl has ISSUES._ “Gross, no.” Yuqi felt the need to make this point _very_ clear. “Hugs and talking. You’d never have a chance with me anyway, you’re not my type _at_ _all_.”

“ _Oh_. Okay.” Miyeon didn’t even try to protest the ‘never have a chance’ part.

Yuqi led Miyeon over, nudging her on to the bed and giving her a thick blanket that she kept in her closet for occasions where she needed a little extra comfort. Miyeon quickly wrapped it around herself, forming a thick, squishy Miyeon-burrito. Yuqi lay down next to her, trying to figure out whether it would accomplish anything to pat the burrito.

“So… I can’t answer for you whether you’re gay, or bi, or pan, or straight, or something else. But whatever you are, it’s _okay_.”

Muffled sniffles came from the burrito. “I just… I look at all those words and the only one that ever made sense to me was _straight_. I’m Cho Miyeon, I like guys.” The burrito seemed to curl up a little bit. “But I also love Shu.”

“So…” Yuqi spoke slowly and gently. “So you know that you like _a_ woman, you’re just not sure yet about whether she’s the only one?”

A sigh. “…yeah…”

“I think… it sounds like you’re not sure yet what the right label is for you, but it kind of… it makes you uncomfortable to think about it?”

“…I guess…”

“I… I want you to know that I totally support you, and I don’t want to tell you how to do your relationship, but…” She paused “I think when you keep saying you’re straight it makes Shuhua think you’re not serious about her, that you’re going to leave her when the right guy comes along.”

The burrito suddenly stiffened. “No! I _love_ her. I would never do that.”

“I know, unnie. I know you love her.” Yuqi decided that she might as well try a back rub, assuming she could figure out where Miyeon’s back was under the blanket. “But I think it would make her feel a lot safer and happier with you if you told her what you just told me.” She clarified, “the part where you’re not sure exactly what you are and you’re really struggling. If you open up even a little bit, I know it’ll mean so much to her.” _Technically_ speaking, Yuqi had actually just said those things _for_ Miyeon, but Yuqi hoped that giving her the words would help somehow.

“What’s the point of telling her anything if I don’t know what I am yet?” Miyeon unwrapped herself a tiny bit, puffy red eyes turned to look at Yuqi.

“Well, for one thing, maybe it’s a little selfish of her but she needs to know that she fits in your world somehow, even if you don’t know exactly how yet.” Yuqi was making this up as she went along. Hopefully these words were helpful words? “But also, if you tell her then she can be there to give you hugs when you’re hurting and space when you need it.”

“I don’t deserve her…”

“Don’t be dumb, Miyeon. You’re perfect for each other.”

“You really think so…?” Miyeon’s eyes widened. “But… I keep screwing it up…”

“Yeah, it’s super gross how perfect you two are.” Yuqi figured that she’d pushed Miyeon far enough for one day, and this conversation was looking dangerously close to veering into pity-party territory, so she decided to take a different angle. “Soooo… can I tell you a secret?”

Miyeon suddenly looked concerned, unconsciously switching to unnie mode. “Of course, is everything okay?”

Yuqi nodded sheepishly, a small smile appearing on her face. She adopted a conspiratorial whisper. “I kissed a _girl_ last night.”

The burrito burst open in excitement. “Oh my god Yuqi! Is it… _Yeonjae?_ ” Yuqi nodded, doing a shy little dance with her hips. “She’s so pretty!” She grabbed Yuqi’s hands. “Tell me everything. How did it happen? Did you kiss her first, or did she kiss you?” She paused, eyes widening. “Are you two _dating_ now?”

“Ummm… she was giving me outfits to try on, and then she put her blazer around me and…” Yuqi blushed.

“That’s soooo _adorable_! So she kissed you?”

“Yup.” Yuqi nodded. “And it was _amazing_. And… we’re not sure yet exactly where it’s going, but we’re gonna try a couple of dates and see…”

Miyeon’s eyes narrowed suddenly. “Where are you gonna go for dates? Do you need any help planning? We can figure out what to tell the managers and…”

“I’ll definitely ask if I need any help, okay? But… I just want to say… all of you guys are really important to me, and…”

“I know. Don’t worry about us. Go get the girl.”

As much as Yuqi was excited to share her news, she was secretly hoping that some part of this conversation was getting through to the part of Miyeon that was scared and confused, helping her realize that she was allowed to be excited about her own relationship too. “Maybe… if things go well… we could do a double date? The two of us with you and Shu?”

Miyeon’s face stiffened, the excitement fading. “If she can forgive me, then… maybe…”

“She will. Give her a little time to cool down, but you should talk with her soon. Don’t let this hang over you guys for too long, yeah?”

Miyeon nodded, taking a deep breath. “Okay. Thanks, Yuqi, you’re the best.” She leaned in to give Yuqi a soft hug, her damp face leaving a mark on Yuqi’s sleeve. “Can we… can we just sit here for a while? And not talk? Just sit?”

“Of course. Hand?” Yuqi tentatively reached for Miyeon’s hand, and the older girl answered silently, taking Yuqi’s hand in hers.

* * *

Yuqi’s first date with Yeonjae was an outdoor afternoon date. The cold drudgery of mid-February wasn’t ideal, but Yuqi had a plan. The two of them were fully wrapped up in winter gear, covered by puffy jackets, scarves, and warm winter hats. Though Yuqi had brought extra hand warmers, their hands were both being warmed by cups of hot chocolate from a small shop Yuqi had found through a recommendation from Miyeon and Shuhua. Yuqi had insisted on paying and Yeonjae, amused at Yuqi’s determination, allowed her to.

They strolled by the river, faces concealed well enough that they felt relatively secure. Not secure enough to hold hands, but when Yuqi held out her arm playfully, as if to escort Yeonjae, the older woman accepted. They walked slowly, sipping and chatting, their arms linked.

“So, are we going somewhere specific? Or just wandering?”

“It’s a secret,” Yuqi said, wiggling her eyebrows conspiratorially. This wasn’t Yuqi’s first time being on a date, at least _technically_ _speaking_ , but she’d been stressing over it for days. Yuqi was used to _above-and-beyond_. She always launched herself into new things, even if her interest didn’t end up lasting very long. So, date-planning became a full-time job for her. She’d made a formal presentation of what she thought were her best date ideas to Miyeon and Shuhua (who were doing at least a little better after a long heart-to heart and many orgasms), but the two didn’t give her quite the feedback she’d wanted.

_“Yuqi, I know you want to make this the… best date ever… but you know this isn’t a marriage proposal, right?”_

_“Miyeon unnie is right, Yuqi. You need to be smooth about the romance.” Shuhua emphasized the word ‘smooth’, giving her a suggestive look. “Have you looked up motels to take her to at the end of the--- ow!” Miyeon punched Shuhua in the shoulder._

_“It’s their first date Shu. They’re definitely not having sex.” Miyeon paused. “… are you?”_

And it was through that _very_ uncomfortable line of questioning that Yuqi learned about Miyeon and Shuhua’s first ‘date’, which had begun in their shared kitchen and ended in Miyeon’s bed. Miyeon’s sexuality was still an open question, but some part of it definitely included being extremely horny for Shuhua pretty much all the time.

 _To be fair though_ , Yuqi thought, _I’ve already shared two different beds with Yeonjae._ If Yeonjae hadn’t stopped her the second night they spent together… Yuqi left the remainder of that thought to her imagination, which had gotten a _lot_ of practice imagining Yeonjae. Yeonjae in pajamas, Yeonjae in pretty dresses, Yeonjae in lingerie, Yeonjae in nothing at all… Yeonjae in a blazer? Yes, that was good too. Maybe just a blazer and nothing else?

“I like that I can hold on to you, at least a little bit.” Yeonjae’s voice dragged Yuqi out of horny jail and back to reality. Yuqi had known that, as much as she hated how many layers of clothing separated the two of them right now, going out into the cold was one of the only ways they could really be physically close to each other on a date. Holding on to each other in any other context would draw a lot of attention, but here, by the river, even in the unlikely event that anyone recognized them, their close proximity to each other was easily explainable. They were friends, and they were staying close together because it was very cold. So, Yuqi chose winter clothing and linked arms for their first date instead of having café table separating them.

“Yeah, I like it too.” Yuqi looked at Yeonjae with a smile and a hint of shyness. “I’ve never been out in public on a date before. They were always somewhere private, like sitting together on the roof of our building or something. I know this isn’t really the same thing as announcing that we’re on a date, but I like that we’re both out in the world together.”

Yeonjae nodded and pulled her a tiny bit closer and leaned her head towards Yuqi’s shoulder. Their fuzzy hats touched. “Can I ask you a personal question? I know it’s only our first date, but…”

“Hmmm. Okay, shoot.”

“You never really talk about your family, except that one time that first night we talked. I don’t want to push, but if there’s anything more you feel like you’re okay sharing?”

It was a scary subject for Yuqi, but... “Well, my mom is gone, and I don’t really talk to my dad anymore… and of course I’m an only child, so I guess there’s not a lot to tell.”

“When you say ‘gone’, do you mean…”

Yuqi shrugged. “I’m not sure…” She paused, taking a deep breath. “I came home from school one day when I was ten and she just wasn’t there. My dad was angry, and he told me that she was gone and that she’d abandoned us. And he called her a lot of names that… I’d rather not say.”

“Oh...” Yeonjae studied her hot chocolate cup as if not sure what to say. “Did you ever find out what happened?”

“I pushed my dad a lot of times to tell me and a couple of times I even yelled at him, but he just got angry and wouldn’t answer. So no, I really don’t know anything.” Yuqi paused, and they walked for a while in silence. “I guess maybe she’s still out there. Sometimes I imagine just running into her somewhere. A part of me wants to ask her _why_ , but also I’m not sure I’d even want to talk to her. So, it hurts, but I think I’ve mostly moved past it. I’ve been on my own for a while, and I have a different family now.”

“But… your dad?”

“He…” This was a little more painful to talk about. “I think he didn’t really like me very much after that. He didn’t kick me out or anything, he still made sure I had what I needed to go through school and whatever. He’s not a bad person.” Yeonjae looked skeptical but didn’t interrupt. “I think partly I probably reminded him of my mom, but also…” She shrugged, her voice tinged with sadness and a tiny bit of anger. “It’s probably great to have a wife who’s magic at sex, but he was a lot less enthusiastic about having a daughter who was going to be like that. When I started sensing things and it was obvious that I was thinking a lot about sex, he started treating me like I was a pervert.”

“What an ass.” Yeonjae wasn’t even trying to hide her disgust. “You were a kid, and you were probably confused and scared, and that’s a really fucked up way to treat your daughter.”

Yeonjae’s harsh words startled Yuqi. This was the most heated she’d ever seen her, and for some reason she felt the need to squeeze Yeonjae’s arm to reassure _her_. “It’s okay, unnie, I’m fine. I know I’m not a pervert.”

Yeonjae cringed from hearing the word a second time, but she paused, suddenly realizing. “You said when you _started_ sensing things… so you didn’t always have that?”

Yuqi cringed. “God no, that would have been terrible. Being a five-year-old and having to sense those things would have been totally traumatizing. I only started sensing stuff when I was around sixteen and already thinking about sex and being interested in it for myself.”

“But then… you didn’t have your mom around to talk about it with when it was starting to happen?”

“Nope. That’s why there’s some stuff I don’t totally understand. I’ve kind of been figuring it out on my own.”

“So that’s why… the things that happened when you and I kissed, you weren’t really sure what that was, so it must have been even worse when you started meeting girls and having sex and stuff. There wasn’t anyone to explain it to you.”

 _Oof. You’ve already hit your quota for secrets for the day, Yeonjae._ Yuqi was _really_ hoping that the older woman wasn’t going to push the… ‘sex and stuff’ topic. A _succubus_ in her _twenties_ who hadn’t… But fortunately, Yeonjae moved on. “What about other succubi? Can’t you talk to them?”

“I’ve never really met any.”

“Wait, really?” Yeonjae stopped walking suddenly, and Yuqi flailed a little bit trying to keep her balance with their arms still linked. “That’s really sad. You’re like… alone?” She said the last word softly, barely audible above the ambient Seoul noise.

“That part of me is alone, I guess, but I’m not, like, totally alone in the world. I have a lot of really amazing people who support me in my life.”

“Oh. That still seems really sad though. Are there just not any other succubi around? Are you really rare?”

“I think there are probably more around somewhere, but I don’t know where. It’s pretty hard to just walk up to someone and be like, ‘hey, just wondering if you’re not human.’”

“So that’s why you were so interested when I was talking about my friend’s girlfriend who was maybe a succubus?”

“Yeah.” Yuqi nodded.

“I can… try to reach out to my friend if you want.”

“I’ve thought about asking, but I’m not sure if I’m ready for that. If I am… I’ll tell you?”

“Sure. Any time you want. Just say the word.”

“Thanks, unnie, I really appreciate it.” They walked in silence for a while more. Yuqi found herself hoping that the next event she’d planned would brighten the mood. “I think this is our turn,” Yuqi said, lightly tugging Yeonjae toward a street leading away from the river.

“Oh, are we going somewhere else?”

Yuqi smiled. “I have one more little surprise for you. It’s nothing huge, just… something I thought you might like.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and glanced quickly at it. “Good, we’re right on time.” Yuqi had chosen three different pieces to fit into the date -- hot chocolate, the river, and the final surprise -- out of a pool of a number of different options. The decision had been based on, among other things, their predicted walking pace and the length of each activity. She had high standards for date-planning. After all, she _was_ Song Yuqi. She had a reputation to uphold.

A few blocks later they arrived at an open square with a small crowd gathering. Yuqi led them to a spot with a clear view. There in front of them was a gaggle of schoolchildren, maybe five years old, assembling on a makeshift stage. They were wearing puffy coats, but each of them had pieces of a costume that shared a color scheme and style. At a signal from a woman, who was presumably their teacher, music started and the children began to wobble around and dance. Yuqi nudged Yeonjae and silently pointed to a banner. _Kuryong Elementary School First Grade Winter Dance Performance_.

“How _on Earth_ did you…?”

“It’s where Soyeon went to school. I was asking around about things to do this weekend and she mentioned it. Normally it would be indoors but…” Yuqi gestured at the universe and shrugged. “I know you’re already around little kids a lot in your studio but I thought maybe you might still…”

“They’re _adorable_.” Yeonjae whisper-squealed. The children were comically out of sync, each with their eyes fixed on their teacher who was kneeling in front of the stage doing the movements along with them. Yeonjae was totally entranced, and she clapped with glee when the music ended and the children wobbled into a line to take a bow. She pulled Yuqi into a squish-hug. “You’re the _best_. Can we take one home?”

Yuqi snorted. “ _Korean Olympian and K-pop Idol abduct small child together_. Sounds like a great headline. My company would be thrilled.” She allowed herself a tiny smug smile. Date-planning wasn’t likely to make it into an episode of her “LEARN WAY” series, but if there were a competition, she’d definitely be in the running for a podium finish.

…

The two of them arrived back at Yuqi’s dorm late in the afternoon, having taken their time making their way back. They stood awkwardly in front of the building, looking at each other.

“Can I… walk you up to your apartment? For… safety reasons, just to make sure you get inside.”

Yuqi curtseyed comically. “Of course, _Ms. Son_. How very chivalrous of you.” Yuqi was _well aware_ that Yeonjae’s interest in finding a more _private_ spot to end the date was not solely Yuqi’s safety, but she wasn’t going to argue. They made their way into the building and up the elevator, both of them fidgeting awkwardly. It wasn’t like they hadn’t _kissed_ before, but… a kiss after a first date felt a little more intimate.

“Do you want to… come in for a minute?” Yuqi asked when they’d reached the front door of her apartment. Her heart was beating fast. _Why are you freaking out, Yuqi? You spent_ hours _making out with her already_

“Oh, I don’t want to intrude… is that okay?”

“It would just be Soojin or Shuhua and Miyeon, and none of them would make a fuss.” _Probably?_

“Oh, well, maybe just for a minute?”

Yuqi typed in the door code and stepped inside, leading the way. As she entered the apartment and slipped off her shoes, she found not _one_ , not _two_ , but _all five_ of her groupmates sitting around the living room. Their heads turned toward her in unison when they heard her step inside.

“ _Finally_ , unnie,” Shuhua said from the couch. “Your date took _forever_. We want all the de--” And at that moment Yeonjae appeared behind Yuqi, and Shuhua froze.

“Hello Yeonjae-ssi,” Soyeon said in a calm tone, totally unfazed. “Nice to meet you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter originally had a conversation between Yuqi and Soojin starting to get at why Soojin is sad, but I cut it because it didn't fit with the rest of the chapter. I saved it in my drafts though, and it'll appear soon. I'm also super glad though that the story has gone in a direction where I can write Soyeon cause Soyeon is 🦁
> 
> Just FYI, this story is not about an angsty parent-child reunion. Yuqi's mom might still be out there somewhere, but that's not gonna be a thread I dig much into. There's already more than enough sexual self-discovery angst to fill the angst quota.


	6. If you want me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m quitting this stupid group and going solo,” Yuqi grumbled, fuming. She threw herself on to her bed and flailed for a moment in frustration. Then she stuck out her arms toward Yeonjae, a puppy-eyed look on her face. That was definitely a look that Yeonjae understood. As awkward as Yeonjae was feeling, the sight of her… friend? Not quite girlfriend yet… on a bed after an amazingly romantic first date was more than enough to focus her attention. She walked over slowly, teasing Yuqi by making her wait. As she reached the edge of the bed, Yeonjae leaned over and gave Yuqi a soft kiss on the forehead.
> 
> “Unnie…” Yuqi’s voice was pleading. “Make me forget about my dumb groupmates?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo this is my first attempt at... smut? I think it's still pretty fluffy though. It's a short chapter, and it doesn't end on a cliffhanger like the previous ones mostly did, but that was intentional and I'll explain why at the start of the next chapter.
> 
> The next chapter has one of my favorite Miyeon moments that I've planned for the series, and I'm going to try to get it out before the end of Miyeon day, but we'll see. It's mostly written already.

“Hello Yeonjae-ssi, Nice to meet you.” The greeting came from a very small but somehow still intimidating woman sitting at a table in the middle of the room who Yeonjae recognized as Soyeon.

Yeonjae managed a small nod, still frozen in place. “Ah, hello!” She looked around the room, trying not to stare, though five women she’d never met before were suddenly all staring at her. Her mind was racing, trying to remember everything she knew about them. _Soyeon is the leader who produces a lot of their stuff and who gets shipped with Yuqi._ Yeonjae tried not to dislike Soyeon for this, and mostly succeeded. _That must be Miyeon, she’s… pretty but a hot mess, and that’s Soojin next to her? Are they the ones that are dating? No, that’s…_

“Would you like to come in for some tea, Yeonjae-ssi?” Soyeon continued politely. Yeonjae noticed Soyeon glance at Miyeon, and the older woman immediately got up to head to the kitchen.

Yeonjae turned to Yuqi for some assistance, but Yuqi was still frozen stiff, panic on her face. _Well, I guess it’s on me then._ “Thank you, that’s a very kind offer, but I really don’t want to impose.”

Miyeon continued preparing the tea. “You’re not imposing at all,” Soyeon replied. “We were all waiting for Yuqi to come back anyway, so now you can both tell us about your date.”

“I really should be going…” Yeonjae tried to respond, but Soyeon’s last comment appeared to have short-circuited something inside Yuqi.

“No! It wasn’t…! we weren’t…!” Yuqi waved her hands urgently, failing at words.

“It’s ok Yuqi, we all already know.” Unsure what her part was to play in this conversation, Yeonjae stood back and waited. “Miyeon and Shuhua knew from before, and Soojin figured it out by herself. And then when you were talking to me about things to do this weekend, I knew it was about a date because nobody does all that stuff by themself or just with friends. And I told Minnie because I didn’t think it was fair that she was the only one who didn’t know.”

Yuqi was clearly not happy with not having been a part of that decision, but she wasn’t able to figure out how to convey her displeasure before Soyeon continued. “Come, sit,” she said, motioning to the seats next to her at the table. She glanced at Yeonjae. “We’ll decide whether you’re good enough for our Yuqi.” Yeonjae laughed weakly. Soyeon had a very matter-of-fact look on her face, and Yeonjae wasn’t sure at all whether or not she was joking.

“We watched some of your videos while you two were out together,” another woman finally joined the conversation. Yeonjae recognized her as Shuhua, the youngest of the group. She’d gotten the sense from Yuqi that Shuhua was a bit of a wild card, but she seemed friendly enough. “You’re a pretty good dancer. Your ‘[Dynamite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY6Fow8ebVw)’ video was really fun.”

Another voice interjected, this time from a slightly taller woman with pinkish-red dyed hair, who Yeonjae recognized as Minnie. “You looked great in that blazer!”

Yeonjae nodded and started to acknowledge the compliment, but she noticed that Yuqi had an odd expression on her face at the mention of the blazer. _Does she… have a thing for me in blazers?_ Yeonjae immediately thought of several ways to put that _interesting_ tidbit to good use.

“So, what do you do, Yeonjae?” Soyeon had her hands folded in front of her in classic interviewer pose.

“What do I _do_?” Yeonjae wasn’t quite sure which _doing_ Soyeon was referring to.

“Your job.”

“Oh. I run a rhythmic gymnastics studio… I teach a lot of classes…” If the girls had watched her videos, didn’t they already know this?

“Hmmm.” Soyeon frowned. “Is that a stable source of income? When Yuqi gets older she’s going to need a wife with high earning potential.”

“OH. MY. GOD.” This was apparently the proverbial straw for Yuqi. “I hate all of you.” She stood up and stomped toward her room, half-dragging Yeonjae with her.

“Leave the door open, young lady. No funny business,” Shuhua called from the couch. Yuqi slammed the door of her room defiantly behind them, and Yeonjae heard a chorus of chuckles break out from the room they’d just hastily escaped. She wasn’t exactly sure how, but they were definitely just the butt of a joke she didn’t totally understand.

“I’m quitting this stupid group and going solo,” Yuqi grumbled, fuming. She threw herself on to her bed and flailed for a moment in frustration. Then she stuck out her arms toward Yeonjae, a puppy-eyed look on her face. _That_ was definitely a look that Yeonjae understood. As awkward as Yeonjae was feeling, the sight of her… friend? _Not quite girlfriend yet…_ on a bed after an amazingly romantic first date was more than enough to focus her attention. She walked over slowly, teasing Yuqi by making her wait. As she reached the edge of the bed, Yeonjae leaned over and gave Yuqi a soft kiss on the forehead.

“ _Unnie_ …” Yuqi’s voice was pleading. “Make me forget about my dumb groupmates?”

Yeonjae was happy to oblige. She got on to the bed and straddled Yuqi, looking down at her and enjoying the view. She leaned over, giving Yuqi soft kisses starting at her shoulder, working her way up Yuqi’s neck. She could feel Yuqi’s breath getting heavier, the younger woman squirming a little bit underneath her. When she finally reached Yuqi’s lips with her kisses, Yuqi let out a gasp. “Oh my _god_ unnie,” she said in between kisses, “I’ve been wanting to jump you for _hours_.”

“Shhhh…” Yeonjae put a finger to Yuqi’s lips. “No talking. Let’s just play for a little bit.” Yeonjae knew that, if _she_ were a succubus, her eyes would be _bright_ red right now.

Yuqi nodded, her eyes widening. Her mouth opened a tiny bit, maybe unconsciously, but Yeonjae took advantage of the moment, moving to give Yuqi a deep, slow kiss. Yuqi was _gorgeous_ spread out on the bed under her, and she wanted _all_ of her.

“I like this position,” Yuqi said, a shy smile on her face.

“Hmmm… you like me on top?” Yeonjae asked curiously. “I don’t mind.” Yuqi glanced at her nervously and blushed, but Yeonjae chuckled. “I like the idea of taking care of you a little bit.” She leaned over and hovered with her lips just barely brushing Yuqi’s neck, her warm breath making Yuqi squirm. “I’m probably not supposed to leave any marks, right?” She looked up at Yuqi.

“Ummm…. Well….” Yuqi groaned in frustration. “I want all of the marks you can give me, Yeonjae unnie, _believe me_ , but I don’t think I’m ready to have that conversation with the makeup artists.”

Yeonjae tutted in disappointment but returned to Yuqi’s lips with a growing hunger. She could feel the warmth radiating off of Yuqi, only growing in intensity, and she wanted to add as much fuel as possible to Yuqi’s inner flame. Slowly and experimentally, she reached a couple of fingers up _just_ under the bottom of Yuqi’s sweater and the shirt below, resting her fingertips slightly above Yuqi’s hips. Yuqi’s breath caught, and she moaned a tiny moan. _She’s really sensitive. Maybe if I…_ Yeonjae began to trace her fingertips very slowly upward, exploring Yuqi’s soft skin. Yuqi wasn’t kissing her back anymore. The younger woman seemed to be holding her breath, her whole body unable to do anything other than focus on the sensation of Yeonjae’s fingers. “Is this… okay?” Yeonjae was worried that she was overwhelming Yuqi.

“ _Please don’t stop…_ ” Yuqi’s response was barely a whisper. For a moment, Yeonjae still wasn’t certain, but as she looked at Yuqi’s face, the younger woman’s eyes closed and her breath shuddering as Yeonjae touched her, Yeonjae knew that Yuqi meant what she had said. Yeonjae gently placed both of her hands on Yuqi’s hips and leaned in to give her another deep kiss, gently raising Yuqi’s sweater and shirt upward as their lips moved together. _Not all the way. Not quite yet._ She stopped short of Yuqi’s bra, not wanting to push her too far. She moved her head down slowly, kissing Yuqi’s neck along the way, and positioned her face above the top of Yuqi’s jeans, admiring her now-exposed stomach.

“Unnie…?” Yuqi asked quietly, a questioning look in her eyes.

“I won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with, okay? Pants stay on today.” Yuqi nodded slowly, and Yeonjae lowered her head and began to press gentle kisses to Yuqi’s bare stomach, working from just above the top of her jeans to around her hips and slowly upward.

Yuqi’s excited but nervous reactions to her touches were starting to confirm a theory Yeonjae had had for a while now – that Yuqi hadn’t really gotten very far with whatever other girls she’d been with. Yeonjae’s suspicion had begun when Yeonjae noticed Yuqi’s awkwardness when discussing sex, at least when it related to herself and Yeonjae, and her suspicions had grown as the two of them had started to explore each other more. Yeonjae wasn’t planning on asking Yuqi point-blank whether she’d had sex before. She was hoping that the younger woman would feel comfortable opening up to her on her own, but she knew she’d have to pay extra attention to Yuqi’s comfort level whenever they tried something more intimate.

Yeonjae’s trail of gentle kisses had made its way up almost all of Yuqi’s exposed stomach when she realized that Yuqi’s had was gently resting on her shoulder, guiding her higher. Yeonjae looked up at Yuqi, questioning, but Yuqi gave a quick nod, a nervous look still on her face. Yeonjae gently raised Yuqi’s sweater and shirt higher, and Yuqi raised her arms above her head to allow Yeonjae to take them off completely. Yuqi now had on only a plain, nude-colored bra. She glanced down at it sheepishly. “If I had known we were going to… I would have…”

“Yuqi, you don’t have to be self-conscious about not wearing _lingerie_ or something for me on our first date.” A thought came into Yeonjae’s head. “But… if you really wish you weren’t wearing it…?” Yuqi blushed furiously for a moment, but then nodded. Yeonjae gently slipped a hand around Yuqi’s back, and a moment later the bra was gone. Yeonjae drew in a deep breath. “You’re _beautiful_ , Yuqi,” she said, looking deep into her eyes and smiling softly. She leaned in for another gentle kiss, but then, too excited to hold back for long, started to move her mouth downward, down Yuqi’s neck, kissing across each collarbone, and on to her upper chest. She slowly lowered her face, kissing around the edges of Yuqi’s breasts, teasing Yuqi just a tiny bit. By the time Yeonjae had worked her way around and down the center of Yuqi’s chest, Yuqi was almost exploding with pent up sexual energy.

 _“Unnie… please…”_ Yuqi gasped, breathlessly. And Yeonjae obliged, lifting her head and hovering over Yuqi’s nipple, her hot breath making Yuqi quiver. She finally took the nipple in her mouth, wetting it with her tongue, gently kissing it and sucking it, and Yuqi let out a _delicious_ moan. “Oh my god, unnie…” Yeonjae sucked a little bit harder, raising her hand to palm Yuqi’s other breast and gently taking her other nipple between her fingers and rubbing. Yuqi was totally under her spell, moaning softly and her body rising to meet Yeonjae’s every touch.

Suddenly Yeonjae felt a tugging at her shirt. Somehow, Yuqi had managed to focus her energy enough to lift her arm to tug at Yeonjae. “Off? Please?” And in an instant, Yeonjae had sat up and removed all of her layers but her own bra.

“Do you want to take it off for me?” Yeonjae offered, in a tone mixing gentle with sultry. Yuqi nodded, almost reverently, and reached around with both hands to try to unhook it. She fumbled a bit, but it didn’t take long. And suddenly their bodies were together, their chests no longer separated by any frustrating layers.

 _Wow… she’s…_ Yeonjae didn’t have a word for the type of radiance washing over her from Yuqi now that their skin was pressed together. It felt warm… and soft… and… _energizing_. Yuqi was slowly exploring Yeonjae’s body now too with her hands as they kissed. She ran her hands around Yeonjae’s waist and up her back, pulling her in tighter for a deeper kiss.

“Can I be… on top for a little bit?” Yuqi looked hesitant, but Yeonjae smiled and nodded. They rolled over so Yuqi was now straddling Yeonjae, and the younger took the chance to start exploring Yeonjae’s body with both her hands and her mouth. Yeonjae could tell that Yuqi was partly just imitating what Yeonjae had done to her a few moments before, but she seemed to be a very quick study. With every moan she elicited from Yeonjae she seemed to become more confident, and soon she had developed a very intimate friendship with one of Yeonjae’s nipples. _Oh my god, how are you so good at that?_

And all of a sudden, a loud, teasing voice blared out from behind the door to Yuqi’s room. “Don’t forget to use protection, _unnies_!” And then another voice, “Oh my _god_ Shu!” and a sharp smack, what Yeonjae assumed was a quick hit from… Miyeon?... to Shuhua’s backside, eliciting a yelp from the younger. And two pairs of footsteps scampered away.

“YEH SHUHUA! I’M GOING TO MURDER YOU!” Yuqi roared. Yeonjae squeaked a bit at the sudden volume that her _almost-girlfriend_ was able to produce. Yuqi huffed in exasperation, but plopped down on the bed after a moment, defeated. The moment they’d been having, as amazing as it was, was officially dead.

“Is it okay if I hate Shuhua a little bit right now?” Yeonjae was trying very hard to like all of Yuqi’s friends, but…

“Permission granted.”

With the mood crushed and both of them a bit overwhelmed with all of the sensations and energy, both of them agreed that a nap seemed like the best course of action. They changed into pajama bottoms from Yuqi’s closet (each while the other’s back was turned), but they decided to forgo clothing on top. Yuqi was still a bit shy, but she happily settled in again as little spoon, smiling as she felt Yeonjae’s bare chest against her back. Shuhua’s _very unwelcome_ interruption had dissipated the raw sexual energy they had built up, but the intimacy was still there. As they lay there, bodies connected, Yeonjae placed slow, soft kisses on Yuqi’s shoulders and the back of her neck.

…

By the time they awoke, it was dark outside and quiet in the apartment. “Every time I wake up next to you, unnie, I think I’m dreaming,” Yuqi said softly. Yeonjae just responded with a squeeze, pulling Yuqi in closer.

Yuqi’s phone buzzed, interrupting the moment. “Can I…?” Yeonjae nodded, releasing her.

When Yuqi picked up the phone, Yeonjae briefly saw the name attached to the message. **_Cho Miyeon_ (** **조미연** **)**. Yuqi scanned it quickly. “Is everything ok?” Yeonjae asked.

“Yeah. It’s just that… even though our romance got outed today, the other one is still a secret. She wanted to tell me to make sure I didn’t say anything.”

“It seems like your groupmates don’t really have a problem with women being together though,” Yeonjae observed, tentatively.

“Yeah, I never really thought any of them would, though I understand why it could still be scary to come out to them. I think the tough part though is how they’ll react to it being two of our members dating each other. It’s kind of a risky relationship, especially if…”

“If one of them is a hot mess?” Yeonjae was pretty confident at this point that Miyeon and Shuhua were the ones in the secret relationship, but she wasn’t going to ask Yuqi to confirm directly. The idols deserved as much privacy as they could get.

“… yeah. If they came out to us and then Soyeon decided that their relationship was a bad thing for the group, then things could get pretty rough for all of us.”

“Would she do that?” Yeonjae was surprised. Soyeon certainly seemed to have a handle on her authority as leader, but it seemed a little cruel to force a couple to break up.

“I don’t think she would _force_ them to break up. She isn’t that type of leader. Soyeon cares about us, but she _does_ put the group first, and when she makes a decision, she sticks with it. I think… it would just be very hard for them if she didn’t think it was a good idea.”

“Ah.” _Well, that sounds ominous._ Soyeon didn’t seem to have immediately objected to Yeonjae dating Yuqi (Yeonjae’s financial prospects aside), but Yeonjae wasn’t thrilled about how much power Soyeon might have over her and Yuqi’s life if for some reason she decided she didn’t approve. She moved to squeeze Yuqi a little bit more possessively, her arms around Yuqi’s chest. Yuqi leaned down and gave her arm a kiss.

“Don’t worry,” Yuqi said, as if understanding what Yeonjae was thinking, “if she tries to do anything to us, I’ll beat her up.” Yuqi sounded very confident about her skills… almost worryingly so. “I learned boxing.” _Ah_. Yuqi’s ‘LEARN WAY’ skills coming in handy again.

Yeonjae chuckled. “My knight in [hot pink armor](https://gfycat.com/grandioseweegaur-son-yeon-jae-learn-way-gidle-hashtalk-song-yuqi).” She wiggled a little, kissing the back of Yuqi’s neck. “Should we maybe get up? I’m getting a little hungry…”

Yuqi shuffled a little bit, sadly, pulling Yeonjae’s arms tighter, but after a moment she nodded. “Okay.” She threw her shirt and sweater back on, leaving the bra on the floor. Yeonjae re-dressed herself as well. Yuqi put a finger to her lips, indicating for Yeonjae to be quiet, and tiptoed over to the door. She listened with her ear against it for a few seconds, then slowly opened it a crack. “It’s just Miyeon and Minnie. They won’t bother you much.” Yeonjae nodded and followed her out, back into the living room.

Miyeon and Minnie were sitting at the table munching on snacks and watching something on Miyeon’s laptop. Minnie looked up when Yuqi and Yeonjae approached, smiling warmly. “Hey guys. Hope you had a nice nap.” Yeonjae scanned Minnie’s face, but didn’t find any hints of teasing. _She’s actually just being friendly. That’s refreshing._ Yeonjae smiled back at Minnie, glancing at Yuqi, who seemed… protective? But still mostly calm.

“I’m sorry about the teasing earlier, Yeonjae-ssi,” Miyeon added, a bit awkwardly. “Soyeon wanted to have a little fun with you and Shuhua was being… Shuhua.”

Yeonjae nodded, still a little puzzled. “Oh, so Soyeon actually _was_ joking about the wife thing?”

“Not exactly… joking… but…” Miyeon looked to Minnie for support.

“Soyeon was being Soyeon,” Minnie clarified, not actually making things much clearer. “Sometimes it’s a little difficult for mortals like us to see what’s going on inside her head, but she means well.” Yuqi huffed a bit but nodded, agreeing. Minnie continued, “sit with us for a bit? I promise we won’t grill you, we’ll just feed you snacks.”

Yeonjae was hesitant, but Minnie seemed genuinely nice. “Okay, maybe just for a minute.” Yeonjae could tell that Yuqi wasn’t totally thrilled with the idea of more interaction with her groupmates, but Yuqi sat down with her across from the other two girls. Minnie pushed their snack plate toward the middle of the table so they could all reach, and Yuqi immediately picked out two chocolates and handed one to Yeonjae.

“Miyeon was telling me that you trained in Russia for a while. Can you speak any Russian?” Minnie looked genuinely interested.

“Oh, I can just say the usual phrases to use to get around. I’m not really very good. You must speak at least a couple of languages though, right? Yuqi said you’re from Thailand I think?”

Minnie nodded, smiling. “Thai of course, and my Korean is getting better, and I can do okay with English and Mandarin for basic conversations and sometimes a little Japanese. It helps to have groupmates who speak a lot of languages too though. I can practice Mandarin with Yuqi sometimes, and a few of us speak English okay.”

This was a refreshingly normal conversation. “That’s really impressive, you must work really hard at it.” Yeonjae offered a pleasant smile, risking a glance over at Yuqi. She didn’t seem to be getting particularly jealous, but Yeonjae suddenly felt a hand sneaking its way into hers under the table. She happily accepted it, giving it a squeeze. “Miyeon-ssi, Yuqi told me that you’d done some acting, and that you have a web drama out?”

Miyeon nodded, acknowledging the attention. “It’s just a small thing, but the staff and cast all worked really hard. There are still a few more episodes left that haven’t aired, but I think people are mostly liking it so far.” _She doesn’t seem like a hot mess._ Yeonjae was just a _tiny_ bit tempted to shift the conversation to Shuhua to watch how Miyeon responded, but she decided that it wasn’t the right time to go poking around in the oldest member’s psyche.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Yeonjae-ssi, how did you first start spending time with Yuqi? We saw your episode together, but… after that?”

Yeonjae smiled at the memory. “She came up and talked to me after the shoot and asked for my number. She was super awkward, it was adorable.”

“Yah! I was _definitely_ not awkward. I was totally cool and smooth. And may I remind you that I _did_ get your number.”

“Yes, you did, though I gave it to you thinking that you just needed an unnie, not an…” Yeonjae couldn’t resist, “… _unnie_.” She emphasized the word with a _certain_ tone.

Yuqi blushed furiously. She pouted, unable to refute, but her expression changed as Yeonjae lifted their clasped hands and set them softly on the table, placing her other hand on top.

 _Yuqi is mine, and I want them all to know that. And I want her to know that too._ Yeonjae noticed a shy-happy smile dancing in Yuqi’s eyes. “We mostly just hung out together sometimes and talked for a while after that. It was hard to go out in public together because of, you know,” Yeonjae waved her hand for a moment. Minnie and Miyeon both nodded. They understood. “And a few weeks ago I started flirting with her, but it took her _forever_ to catch on.”

“If I were her, I probably wouldn’t have believed it either. A girl like _Yuqi_ having a chance with…” Minnie nodded toward Yeonjae, but Yeonjae could tell that this was more intended as teasing Yuqi than complimenting Yeonjae.

“Hey!” Yuqi mock-glared at Minnie.

“It might surprise you,” Yeonjae cut in, “but Yuqi’s actually very romantic. Her date planning was amazing.”

Yuqi puffed up, literally inflating with pride, but Miyeon and Minnie both rolled their eyes. “We’re literally _never_ going to stop hearing about that now,” Minnie said. “That’s one more thing Yuqi’s going to brag about being the best at.”

“It’s not bragging if it’s _true_ , unnie!” Yuqi said, a gleeful expression on her face.

“Ummm… actually…” Miyeon started to interject, but she thought better of it and gave up.

Their conversation wound on for maybe half an hour, keeping mostly to safe topics. Yeonjae found herself taking a liking to Minnie. The younger woman was sweet and sometimes bubbly, but also very conscious of making Yeonjae feel comfortable. She was a little bit less sure about Miyeon, who seemed to prefer allowing Minnie to drive the conversation. Miyeon seemed a bit shy around Yeonjae, and Yeonjae wasn’t sure whether she was naturally a shy person or if she didn’t quite know how to feel about Yeonjae’s relationship with Yuqi.

When Yuqi walked her out, Yeonjae finally got the goodbye kiss she’d been hoping for at the end of their date. It hadn’t quite been how she’d expected the end of her date to go, but all in all she had to admit it had been a great day. She was _very_ much looking forward to date number two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully that wasn't too cringey? 
> 
> The next chapter should be up very soon. Get excited for peak awkward Miyeon.


	7. Stay calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Song Yuqi, master sexter, wins again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First I just wanna say that reading all your comments gives me so much life and motivation. Thank you all sooo much!
> 
> This chapter does a little bit of YuJae, MiShu, and (non-romantic) MiJae character relationship building, along with a bit of Miyeon + Yuqi fun and a... surprise at the end. The majority of the chapter was about Miyeon for me as I was writing it though. She needed an unnie too, and maybe she's found one now. Happy Miyeon day!

Yuqi woke up the next morning and was starting her morning routine when her phone buzzed.

_2 new messages from_ _Manager Oppa_

The first message was a link to a news article with a blurry photo of her and Yeonjae walking along the river, their arms linked and holding hot chocolate. Yuqi was making a funny face, and Yeonjae was laughing. “ _Korea’s favorite new winter couple goes on a romantic date_ ”.

 _Shit_.

Yuqi instantly flipped to absolute panic mode, but then she started to skim the article. Her afternoon with Yeonjae was a pretty obvious date, but it didn’t even occur to whatever _asshole_ reporter had written the article that the two of them could actually _like_ each other. The article was just pandering to _YuJae_ shippers. The follow-up text from her manager just hammered in this point. “The company likes this publicity. They’re picking a nice restaurant for the two of you to be seen at next time.”

 _Fucking assholes. All of them. Nobody in Korea believes that any part of me could ever be real._ She collapsed into a ball on the floor in the corner of her room, feeling tears welling in her eyes. But then her phone buzzed again. She picked it up, ready to chuck it at the wall, but stopped when she saw the name.

_New message from_ _Cutest Not-Fairy (_ _손연재_ _)_

_2 new messages from_ _Cutest Not-Fairy (_ _손연재_ _)_

_3 new messages from_ _Cutest Not-Fairy (_ _손연재_ _)_

_4 new messages from_ _Cutest Not-Fairy (_ _손연재_ _)_

_5 new messages from_ _Cutest Not-Fairy (_ _손연재_ _)_

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Did you see this???_

Yeonjae had sent a link to the same article.

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Fucking assholes  
_ _They can’t even imagine a world where I actually care about you  
_ _Such fucking bullshit  
_ _I hate all of them_

Despite the tears still welling in her eyes, Yuqi smiled. _How did Yeonjae get so perfect?_ The flow of messages paused for a moment, but then one more arrived.

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Are you okay?_

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _yeah  
_ _thanks  
_ _i needed that_

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Are you sure?  
_ _Just tell me and I’ll be there in 15 with as many hugs as you need_

Yeonjae sent a picture of herself on her stomach on her bed, still in pajamas, a worried look on her face.

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _you’re amazing and i want that so much  
_ _but I have a schedule soon  
_ _i’m really okay, i promise_

Yuqi wasn’t totally sure she was 100% okay, but she was definitely better than she had been a minute earlier. The idea of bare-faced Yeonjae speeding over to her dorm, still wearing pajamas, was somehow incredibly romantic.

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Okay, if you’re sure.  
_ _Are you in trouble with your company?_

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _ugh no  
_ _they liked it  
_ _they want us to get seen together more_

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Ugh. Gross._

**_Favorite Not-Demon_** **(** **송우기** **)  
**i know  
i hate it

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Can we post a picture of us kissing on my Insta to spite them?  
_ _Just kidding.  
_ _Mostly._

The idea was pretty terrifying, but Yuqi had to chuckle at her almost-girlfriend’s boldness.

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _want to kiss you all day long  
_ _and other stuff too_

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Yes please  
_ _I’m all yours_

Yuqi was not at all prepared for the next message Yeonjae sent. It was a picture of her, lying on her side on her bed, the curving lines of her body on full display. She was still fully clothed, but she’d allowed her shirt to rise up enough to show quite a bit of her (very toned) stomach. Yuqi could feel her eyes responding with glowing red excitement. _Oh my god, Yuqi, she’s not even naked. You’re getting turned on by pajamas, bare-face, and abs. Amazing abs…_

****

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _how the hell are you so sexy first thing in the morning_

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Hahah this is definitely not peak sexiness for me  
_ _But it helps that I have someone to inspire me_ 😈

A frightening thought suddenly crossed her mind. _What am I supposed to send back?_ _Think, Yuqi, think._ She ran through a variety of sexy poses in her head, but none of them felt quite right. She definitely wasn’t ready to send a picture of herself naked or in her underwear, but… _oh. That’s not a bad idea._

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _so i was thinking about our next date  
_ _and what i should wear  
_ _which of these do you think?_

After scrambling through her closet for a minute, Yuqi arranged two of what she thought were her nicest bras next to each other on her bed and snapped a photo of them. It was far from an explicit shot. She’d thought about holding each one up in front of her, still wearing her pajama top of course, but that was maybe a bit far out of her comfort zone and felt like a weird pose anyway. She was counting on Yeonjae’s imagination to do a lot of the work.

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Uhhh you are the sexiest ever  
_ _You know how much I love fashion shows  
_ _Maybe you can model both of them for me next time you come over?  
_ _And I can help you change in between?_

_Song Yuqi, master sexter, wins again._ Yuqi locked the door of her room and settled down on to her bed, allowing her hand to roam and slowly find its way underneath her clothes. Her morning was starting to look like it wasn’t going to be nearly as bad as she’d thought.

* * *

After much discussion, Yeonjae and Yuqi decided that, if Yuqi’s company was going to use their “friendship” for publicity, they were at least going to milk the opportunity for all it was worth. Yuqi negotiated a company-sponsored double date for her and Yeonjae with Miyeon and Shuhua. Her manager had conveyed the PR team’s preference for it to be Soojin and Shuhua, but Yuqi stood firm. In the end she won out, conceding only to the team’s request that she and Yeonjae wear something that was _almost_ couple-y, but stayed solidly on the _appropriate_ side of the line.

The four of them were to have dinner together at a very nice restaurant later that week, with all expenses paid by the company. The restaurant had private rooms, so they wouldn’t be interrupted during the dinner, but arrangements had been made for them to be “candidly” photographed entering and leaving the restaurant. Miyeon was clearly nervous about the whole idea, but Shuhua had convinced her by describing delicious plates of food and… _rewards_ … that she would receive afterward.

Yuqi had warned Yeonjae about being careful what she said inside the restaurant. Even though it was a private room, there were no guarantees about who might still be listening or how. Teasing and joke flirting were permissible, but couple talk was not. Yuqi could tell that Yeonjae was itching to probe Miyeon’s “hot mess”, but she’d have to find a creative way to bring it up without actually bringing it up.

Yuqi and Miyeon and Shuhua arrived to the restaurant together. They had been encouraged by the company’s PR team to drive themselves to restaurant rather than being driven by a manager in order to make it look more like an _organic_ outing (though there would certainly be company employees in the area in case something went wrong), so Miyeon drove. Miyeon was _very_ unenthusiastic about having Yuqi and Shuhua commenting on her driving, going so far as to banish both of them to the back seat. Yeonjae had driven herself separately, and had already parked and was waiting when the three of them arrived.

Yuqi smiled when Yeonjae got out of the car. Yonjae had been secretive about what she was going to wear, only giving Yuqi a couple of hints about how to match with her. Yeonjae was wearing an overcoat, but Yuqi could clearly recognize her outfit underneath. It was the second-to-last [outfit](https://scontent-bos3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s750x750/121511071_2716053161968486_5027649109941971223_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-bos3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=110&_nc_ohc=ehWEYmGr1HsAX8O2zca&tp=1&oh=4a4cdf215402098eaeabf81892897161&oe=603D9B67) that Yeonjae had given Yuqi to try on the night at her apartment, just before the one Yuqi wore when they first kissed. Yeonjae was _very_ correct when she said that this one was much more her style than Yuqi’s style. She looked _adorable_ , but Yuqi’s favorite part by far was how Yeonjae had definitely chosen it to remind her of their first kiss. Even if they couldn’t _publicly_ be together, Yeonjae was sending a clear, reassuring signal to Yuqi that what their feelings were _real_.

“ _Good evening_ , Ms. Son,” Yuqi said with a mock-dignified bow, holding out her arm for the older woman.

“ _Good evening_ to you too, Ms. Song.” Yeonjae curtseyed, and linked her arm with Yuqi’s. Yuqi had to admit that her [outfit](https://scontent-bos3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s750x750/125535268_1261692317542633_3037069752874810592_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-bos3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=101&_nc_ohc=ztgxbrAz9DUAX9RDkSI&tp=1&oh=7eb3f3a05b797789e0de1d500cda4017&oe=603D8B71) complemented Yeonjae’s well. They made a striking pair.

Yuqi had already located the paparazzi who had “coincidentally” already been there when they arrived. She turned her head away from them, trying to appear distracted by something in the opposite direction, doing her best to make sure that none of the pictures would be good. She knew her company wouldn’t be thrilled – they probably wanted clear shots – but they’d have to take what they could get. Miyeon and Shuhua were dressed up nicely too, though not nearly as couple-y, so there would be enough good pictures for at least one or two articles.

The restaurant was a small, upscale Italian place, which usually had long lines and long wait-times, but a luxurious private room was prepared and waiting for them when they arrived. The four of them slid on to the booth seating, couples next to each other. They each ordered a different dish, with each couple choosing dishes that they both liked, and they all also decided to share a bottle of white wine that the waiter recommended as a good pairing with their dinner choices.

Yuqi found herself _very_ distracted sitting next to Yeonjae. Her outfit was far from extravagant, but she made it look so… _unnie-hot_. Shuhua had clearly noticed this, giving Yuqi a… _competitive?_... grin and sneakily pinching Miyeon’s butt. Miyeon yelped and gave Shuhua a death glare, picking up a fork and waving it threateningly. Yeonjae eyed Yuqi, clearly curious about whether she was about to receive a similar pinch, but no pinch was forthcoming. Yuqi wanted to do _much_ more than just pinch, but now wasn’t the time.

“So,” Yeonjae began, taking a sip of her wine and turning to Miyeon and Shuhua. “I’m sure you get asked this all the time on reality shows, but I’m curious what your first impressions of each other were.” It was a perfectly innocuous question if taken in a normal context, but the subtext was clear – “ _Were you attracted to each other_ _right away, or did it take a while?”_

Shuhua was the first to speak. “I thought Miyeon-unnie was very pretty, but kind of boring. I figured she’d need help to learn how to be cool.” _So a yes from Shuhua, attraction at first sight._

Miyeon was a little slower to respond, trying to figure out both the right answer and the right words. “For a while, Shuhua was more like a little sister to me. She was silly, and _clearly_ thought she was a lot funnier than she really is. But over time I realized that she didn’t really want an unnie as much as she wanted a… friend.” She paused before the last word just a tiny bit, not long enough to be suspicious but long enough to be clear. _So, it took a while for Miyeon to see Shuhua as something more._

“How about you, Yeonjae-ssi?” Shuhua passed the question back. “How long did it take you to become close with Yuqi?”

“Oh, you both can just call me unnie, if that’s fine with you.” Yeonjae seemed to be thinking about what would be best to share. “It didn’t take me too long. Yuqi is a really good listener, and she’s really sweet. I know she’s loud and confident with you all, but on the inside she’s really soft.” Yuqi blushed a bit and wiggled.

“I’m surprised you already know what Yuqi’s like on the _inside_ after such a short time,” Shuhua said, a wicked grin appearing on her face. “Hey, ow!” Yuqi had kicked her, _hard_ , under the table.

Fortunately, Yuqi was saved from any additional conversations about her _insides_ , as the waiter arrived with their orders just in time. As expected, Shuhua was immediately distracted by the delicious sights and smells. Yeonjae, however, hadn’t taken her focus away from the youngest. Yuqi watched Yeonjae’s eyes with interest. There was an emotion there that she hadn’t seen before. Protectiveness? No, Yuqi had seen Yeonjae act protectively before. It wasn’t anger or hostility either, Yeonjae seemed very put-together.

 _Oh. She’s deciding what to do with Shuhua._ For the first time, Yuqi was seeing something (or, in this case, someone) who was wearing down Yeonjae’s seemingly endless reserves of patience. Part of Yuqi was actually curious to see what would happen if Yeonjae really _did_ lose her patience. She knew Shuhua would back down quickly if actually confronted. The youngest was more bark than bite (though she had an extraordinary amount of bark). But perhaps that wasn’t the best outcome for the night.

The conversation quieted a bit for a minute as each woman took a bite of their own dish and the couples exchanged bites. Yuqi was pleased but not surprised to see Yeonjae transferring extra bites to her plate. Yeonjae apparently liked feeding Yuqi _human_ _food_ too.

“One thing I never really had when I was competing was a group around me like you all have. There were other people competing for Korea who I got to know as friends, but I don’t think it’s quite the same.” Yeonjae hadn’t phrased it as a question, but it was obvious that it was one. “Rhythmic gymnastics isn’t quite the same type of… team sport that being in an idol group is.” Yuqi suddenly found herself wondering if any of Yeonjae’s “friends” ever ended up as more than friends, but did her best to rid herself of the thought.

“It’s really nice that we can all take care of each other sometimes,” Miyeon said, answering the unspoken question, “and we all understand a lot of what the others are dealing with. Though I guess sometimes it’s hard to get alone-time.” Yuqi understood the feeling all too well, but she was a little surprised that Miyeon would say it so openly in front of Shuhua. “We try to give each other as much privacy as we can,” Miyeon continued, “but we live together and work together pretty much all the time except for solo stuff.”

“At least you all seem to get along pretty well. And some of you have gotten pretty close.” Yeonjae didn’t seem to have meant for this to be suggestive, but Shuhua predictably took the opportunity to send a suggestive wink to Miyeon.

Miyeon snorted softly at Shuhua’s wink, but focused on Yeonjae’s intended meaning. “I think we work pretty well as a team. We have some… strong personalities in the group, but I think we balance each other out. Minnie and Soyeon are great glue for the group, and so is Soojin.”

“Minnie seemed really nice when we got to talk a little bit the other day. I didn’t see much of Soojin though. She seems pretty quiet?”  
  
Yuqi was watching the back-and-forth between Yeonjae and Miyeon with interest. It was a very normal conversation, but Miyeon was being unusually not-silly. “Soojin is pretty quiet, but she’s a really kind person. She takes care of all of us in small ways. She feeds Shu a lot, which keeps her happy. Shuhua gets even louder when she’s hungry,” she said, smiling a bit.

“I thought you liked it when I’m _loud_ , unnie.” Shuhua’s comment earned a glance from Miyeon, but nothing more. _Interesting._

Yeonjae had also mostly ignored Shuhua’s comment, her attention focused on Miyeon. “And you don’t mind when Shuhua gets all of Soojin’s attention?” The subtext was obvious, and maybe even pushing the line a bit, but Miyeon answered the question without flinching and with a graceful, honest answer.

“I like it when Shuhua gets taken care of.” Miyeon smiled, honestly and simply.

Normally, this would’ve earned a comment from Shuhua about getting _taken care of_ , but for some reason the youngest didn’t jump in. She was looking at her girlfriend, a slightly puzzled expression on her face. Miyeon, on the other hand, was very focused on Yeonjae. Yuqi would have been jealous if it wasn’t so clear that Miyeon’s interest was based more in admiration and respect than any romantic or sexual interest.

 _Oh, wow._ A realization struck Yuqi. Yeonjae was modeling what it was like to be the _mature_ unnie, and Miyeon was following her cues. She was acting like a real adult, even with Shuhua right next to her teasing her.

 _Yeonjae is... amazing._ Yuqi slid her hand across the smooth booth surface to rest next to Yeonjae’s, their skin just barely touching. Even though Yeonjae was focused on her conversation with Miyeon, Yuqi saw a hint of a smile in the corner of her mouth, and Yeonjae gave Yuqi’s hand a tiny side-rub with hers.

Shuhua didn’t seem to know exactly how to respond to Miyeon’s sudden newfound maturity, but eventually satisfied herself by attacking her dinner order with gusto and then inhaling a healthy chunk of Miyeon’s. Her girlfriend shared her plate with a quiet, pleased warmth.

Though the double-date was planned as a chance for all of them to talk and get to know each other, Yuqi was fine with staying quiet (for one of the few times in her life, at least in the presence of her groupmates) and just watching Yeonjae in action. Their dinner wound down a little over an hour later, with four bellies happily full of wine and pasta and a shared dessert. Ordinarily Yuqi wouldn’t have minded some heavier drinking, but the four of them seemed to settle on an unspoken agreement that this would be a more reserved night. Miyeon paid with the company’s card, and Yeonjae nodded quiet thanks. The four of them wobbled out together, all a bit drowsy from the meal. It was a particularly cold and windy winter night for mid-February, but the wine helped dull the wind’s bite a little bit. Much worse than the cold though, was the fact that Yuqi knew that the time had come for her to separate from Yeonjae for the night. She _very_ much wanted to go home with Yeonjae, but she had a shoot in the morning and, more importantly, the cameras that were likely trained on her right now would _definitely_ capture her separating from her groupmates to get into Yeonjae’s car.

Miyeon and Yeonjae swapped phone numbers, and Shuhua, never one to be shy about including herself, thrust her phone into Yeonjae’s hands as well, receiving her number and an accommodating smile in return. There were light, new-friend hugs given all around, but when Yeonjae turned to hug Yuqi she pulled Yuqi in a little tighter and Yuqi felt her transfer something subtly from the pocket of her overcoat to the pocket of Yuqi’s. Yuqi reached in to take it out to look, but Yeonjae intercepted her hand, whispering in her ear. “Not until you get home, okay?” Yuqi nodded, confused.

The ride back to their dorm was a little bit quieter than usual. For some reason, Miyeon allowed Shuhua to sit in the front seat next to her this time while she drove, but the youngest was unusually muted, only offering one half-hearted complaint about Miyeon’s driving. Yuqi was exploring the object inside her pocket. She kept it hidden as Yeonjae had requested, but her curiosity drove her to probe it a bit with her fingers. It was some kind of pouch, velvety-textured with a drawstring, and it had a solid object inside that was a little bit bigger than the palm of Yuqi’s hand. Yuqi’s fingers explored the object through the velvet of the pouch, not really getting a very good sense of what it could be. She found what seemed to be a button, a slight recess on one of the sides of the object. A voice inside her head, full of wine-driven curiosity, told her to press it, and for some inexplicable reason she did what the voice suggested. And suddenly the object was _vibrating._

_Oh fuck._

Yuqi yelped and hopped a tiny bit in her seat. Fortunately, the noise was muffled by the pouch and by her coat pocket. She hastily pressed the button again to try to turn the object off, but the vibration only got stronger.

 _Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Think, Yuqi._ Her hand frantically searched the object for another button or an off-switch, but found nothing.

“Is that your phone? Is it manager oppa?” Shuhua had turned her head a little bit toward Yuqi from the front seat.

In a burst of desperation-driven genius, Yuqi pressed the button and held it down, praying. The object turned off. She hastily looked for her phone and picked it up, trying to act as if she’d actually received a call. “Oh, I missed it. It was an unknown number anyway.” This seemed to satisfy Shuhua. The girls didn’t tend to pick up calls from unknown numbers unless they were expecting somebody in particular.

“Are you… okay?” Shuhua asked, suddenly noticing the sudden strange expression on Yuqi’s face. “Did you drink too much? It was only one bottle for all of us…” A look of (false) realization and mischief appeared on her face. “Did Yeonjae send you a _dirty text_?” And another, even more exciting thought popped into her head. “Is she even _home_ yet?”

Yuqi was about to protest when Miyeon stepped in. “Hush. The only dirty texts you get to care about are the ones from me.” Yuqi was impressed, it was an unusually well-formed response from Miyeon. She had firmly set a boundary, but had also given Shuhua an enticing distraction.

“Will I be getting some of those dirty texts tonight?” Shuhua had an excited-flirty look on her face, but Miyeon just snorted in response.

“You’re going to have me naked in bed with you as soon as we get back. Why do you need dirty texts?”

Yuqi made token gagging noises, but she was mostly just grateful to Miyeon for saving her from the rest of that conversation.

The rest of the ride passed uneventfully, with the mysterious object staying mercifully silent and unmoving. Yuqi still had to endure the ordeal of standing in an _agonizingly slow_ elevator with Miyeon and Shuhua, with the latter not even bothering to try to keep her hands to herself. At least they were giving Yuqi an appetizer for the second dinner she’d get later when the two of them had sex. _Gross, but… yum._

When she finally got back to her room and shut (and locked) her door, Yuqi pulled the object out of her pocket and got her first real look at it. It was a black velvet pouch with a drawstring, just as she’d guessed. She slowly, cautiously pulled the drawstring open and took a look. Inside, there was a small, rounded pink blob of silicone that looked sort of like an oddly shaped rock. There didn’t seem to be any instructions anywhere, but Yuqi was starting to have a pretty good idea of what it was.

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _is this what i think it is?_

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _It’s exactly what you think it is.  
_ _I wish so much that I could be there to give you some lessons  
_ _But I think you’ll figure it out_

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _ohmygod_ 😱

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _If you need any inspiration, maybe this will help?_

A moment later, Yuqi nearly died from shock. _OH. MY. GOD._ Yeonjae had sent Yuqi a picture of herself from the waist up, still wearing the white wool cardigan wrapped around her shoulders but without anything underneath. Her arms were crossed across her chest, _barely_ covering herself and leaving _little_ to the imagination.

**_Favorite Not-Demon_ ** **(** **송우기** **)  
** _omg never leave me_

**_Cutest Not-Fairy_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _Have fun.  
_ _I’m looking forward to hearing how it goes  
_ ❤️

As Yuqi walked over to her bed and sat on the edge, slowly taking off her outer layers while eyeing the somewhat-intimidating pink object, she couldn’t help but marvel at the relationship she’d somehow managed to get herself into. _I am the luckiest half-succubus alive._

* * *

The headline her manager forwarded her the next morning made her groan. “ _Son Yeonjae meets the in-laws”._ _Well, it could have been worse. At least the article complimented our outfits_ , she thought to herself.

Yuqi couldn’t help but revisit the events of the previous evening, re-running them over and over in her head. The six of them were doing a photo shoot for most of the day, and there was a lot of downtime for her to think while she waited for the others to finish their individual shoots. She was still impressed by how Yeonjae had connected easily and naturally with Miyeon. Their conversation and the resulting slight boost in Miyeon’s confidence had changed the flavor of Miyeon and Shuhua’s sex later that night in an interesting way. Yuqi didn’t know the _exact_ details, as she’d kept her headphones in while she _ate_ – she was a _succubus_ , not a voyeur – but judging by the new variations in the taste, there had apparently been some… things… that Miyeon had wanted to try that she must have finally gotten up the confidence to ask about. _Good for her._

Miyeon’s increasing confidence, though delicious, also highlighted a worry that had been growing inside Yuqi for a while now. If Yeonjae was comfortable enough with the idea of sex to basically hand Yuqi a vibrator in public, what exactly was she expecting from Yuqi? It wasn’t like Yuqi was _unaware_ of the things that the two of them could do together. The internet, though not always the best source for useful sex advice, was at least good for understanding the mechanics of various sex acts (though Yuqi wasn’t sure which of the _many_ sex acts she’d read about were actually done by real people on a regular basis).

As much as it pained her to think about, Yuqi knew she only had one option for learning the _real_ details. And later that night, with that goal in mind, she found herself at the door of the renowned _How Women Have Sex With Women_ guru, Cho Miyeon herself.

Gathering her courage, Yuqi knocked.

“Yeah?” came a voice from inside.

“It’s Yuqi. Are you naked?” Yuqi knew that Shuhua was in the other apartment hanging out with Soojin, but it never hurt to be sure.

“No, you can come in.”

Miyeon was sitting on her bed in pajamas, cross legged and playing with her phone. She looked up as Yuqi entered. “What’s up?”

“I need your help.” Yuqi shut the door behind her, and Miyeon set her phone down, suddenly looking very worried.

“Is everything okay?” She scooted over on her bed, patting a spot beside her to indicate that Yuqi should sit. “Is it about Yeonjae?”

“Ummmm… sort of.” Yuqi sat down and crossed her legs, mirroring Miyeon. She fidgeted awkwardly for a minute. “I kind of need your advice on some… relationship stuff.”

Miyeon looked a little bit confused. “… okay, though I’m not sure I’m the best person to…”

“I need to know how to have sex with her.”

“AAHH!” Miyeon yelped and flailed, grabbing a blanket and throwing it over herself, squishing down on to the bed and trying to disappear.

 _Well, I probably should’ve expected that._ _It took me forever to get her to admit she might even_ like _girls._ “Miyeon…”

A finger extended out from under the blanket, pointing at the door. “ _Shuhua_ ,” came a muffled voice.

“You know I can’t ask Shuhua, unnie, she’d tease me for literally _forever_. She’d find me in my _next life_ to torture me about how _I_ asked _her_ for sex help.”

The finger poking out from under the blanket seemed to consider this for a moment, but eventually slowly retracted. “Find someone else.”

“Miyeon _unnie_ …”

The blanket raised slightly, and Yuqi could see an eye staring at her from deep in the darkness of the blanket-cave. “Don’t _unnie_ me, that’s not fair.”

 _“Unnie…_ ” Yuqi persisted, “I need help… What if I do it wrong, and she hates me?”

“Wait.” Miyeon seemed to have come to a realization. “You’re not asking for advice. You’re asking for instructions.” The other eye appeared, both eyes now wide. “Yuqi are you a _virgin_?”

It was Yuqi’s turn to cringe. “Yah! I’m not a _virgin_. I just… haven’t had sex yet.”

“Okay, sorry!” Miyeon’s hands both poked out from underneath the blanket, waving in what Yuqi assumed was supposed to be a placating way.

Yuqi huffed, trying her best to appear offended, but in reality, she mostly just felt like… _a failure? There probably isn’t a succubus in the world who hasn’t had sex by the time she’s twenty-one_ , she thought to herself.

“Hey… it’s okay.” Miyeon took Yuqi’s hands in hers, sensing her struggles. “Everybody’s inexperienced before they start.” Miyeon looked kind of like a grim reaper, seated on the bed with the dark blanket draped over her like a robe and only her face and hands visible. Yuqi tried not to focus on that image. _Weird juxtaposition. Sex and death._ “I can… try to help a little bit. Are you nervous because… Yeonjae has more experience than you? And you think she might have high expectations?”

Yuqi nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

“And you want to make her… feel good… but you’re not sure how?”

“… yeah.”

“Okay. I’m not gonna give you…” Miyeon coughed a little bit. “… details about what to do. But maybe I can help a little bit.” She straightened herself up, steeling herself and gathering courage. “I know the sex ed here and probably where you grew up isn’t very good, especially about women’s bodies. So you might not have learned everything.” She paused, having to will herself to continue. “Do you know what a… clitoris is?”

Yuqi yelped. “Yah!” she responded hastily, “I got that part already!”

“Hey, just asking!” Miyeon looked defensive.

Yuqi took a deep breath. “It’s okay. I was just wondering more like, what do people normally do? At first? Like I looked up a lot of stuff and there’s a lot of… _options_. I just don’t know which of them are normal to start with.”

“Oh. Okay. That’s an easier question.” Miyeon looked relieved. “I’m not gonna tell you what things you should start with,” she paused for a moment. “And I _really_ don’t want to know what things you’ve already done. But I think the best thing for you to do is be honest with Yeonjae and tell her you’re a little nervous. I can tell she cares about you, so she’ll understand. She had a first time too.”

This didn’t totally satisfy Yuqi’s concern. She was kind of hoping that Miyeon would give her some kind of magic sex secret, not just tell her to talk to Yeonjae. From what Yuqi had heard _and_ tasted, Miyeon was definitely doing _something_ right with Shuhua. But she had to admit that Miyeon probably had a good point. _Ugh. Communication is important. I guess._

“And for when you actually do try it…” _Oh, maybe there_ is _a secret?_ “You might want to let Yeonjae lead for the first while. She’ll probably help you think about what kinds of things you’re comfortable doing, and you can learn from the way you feel about what she… does… for you. I know there are a lot of _options_ , but… it’s fine to just stick to the basics for a while. One of the most important secrets for really good sex is…” _Here it comes._ Yuqi waited, trying to memorize every word. “… being comfortable with your partner. Don’t expect the first time to be a magical thing with candles and roses and fireworks, just try to talk it through with her.” _Dammit. Why does this all have to be so reasonable and adult. Somebody needs to tell me the cheat codes for sex._

Still, Miyeon’s advice seemed like it was probably good. Communicating honestly with Yeonjae hadn’t failed yet. “Okay. Thanks.” She smiled a shy, awkward smile. “You’re pretty dumb sometimes, but you’re a good unnie when you try.”

Miyeon smiled. “Yeah. I’m getting better at it.”

Yuqi leaned over and pulled the blanket-wrapped Miyeon into a hug. “Yeah, you are.”

* * *

Yuqi arrived back at her dorm late in the evening one night early the next week, exhausted from having filmed a ‘LEARN WAY’ episode almost all day. As she walked toward the hall leading to her bedroom, she saw something that stopped her dead in her tracks. Soojin was standing directly outside the door to Miyeon’s bedroom, her hand on the wall as if to steady herself… listening to Miyeon and Shuhua having sex?

_What kind of voyeuristic… What the hell are you doing, Soo?_

Soojin hadn’t noticed Yuqi yet, seemingly entranced by the noises coming from under the door. There was a look on her face that Yuqi couldn’t immediately parse. Not excitement, exactly. Not anger, not jealousy. Maybe a little bit of… shame? And…

_Oh. OH. What the fuck?_

Yuqi had never seen the expression on another person before, but some deep, core part of her recognized it. She knew what it meant because she’d felt the same thing so many times, deep inside herself.

Soojin was _eating._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... and then there were two. It took a while, but now I finally get to bring Soojin into the story in a real way.
> 
> The previous chapter was supposed to end on a cliffhanger with Yuqi receiving the text about the photo of her and Yeonjae on her date and her freaking out, but that ended up not wanting to be the thing I wanted to focus on. The emotional impact of receiving that text wasn't supposed to be Yuqi freaking out about getting caught -- it was about making her angry that people don't think what she has is real.
> 
> It'll be a while till the next update. I only have pretty high level notes on the next few chapters, nothing solid written yet.


	8. There’s someone trying to be close to me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If you try anything, you’ll regret it,” Soojin said, a _fierce_ warning in her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FWIW, this is basically chapter one of the second arc of this fic. The first arc was Yuqi's small half-succubus world, and this arc is... well, you'll see.
> 
> This one took a while. I ended up writing a lot of pieces that I cut, but they might appear in a later chapter.
> 
> I hope the name I came up with for Yuqi's succubus mom is okay, I looked up popular Chinese names and then looked around to make sure it's a real name that people have so hopefully it's not offensive in any way.

Before she could stop herself, Yuqi was stepping forward toward Soojin, who was still totally immersed in feeding off of Miyeon and Shuhua. “Soojin, are you…” _How the hell do I ask my groupmate if she’s a succubus who’s in the middle of tasting my other groupmates having sex?_

But Yuqi didn’t have time to finish that thought. In a moment, Soojin had shaken herself out of her distraction and was moving toward Yuqi, a confusing mix of emotions in her eyes. She reached out to touch Yuqi, to grab her arm. Yuqi flinched backwards, surprised by the sudden advance, but Soojin was moving surprisingly quickly.

As Soojin touched her arm, Yuqi felt a wave of nausea wash over her. Soojin looked straight into her eyes. “I think you were on your way to your room, Yuqi, and you and I just passed in the hallway. That’s what you remember, right?” For some reason, Yuqi suddenly felt very confused, but she shook it off.

“What the hell are you doing to me?” Yuqi broke away and stepped back.

Shock overtook Soojin’s face. “How did you… what _are_ you?” She suddenly looked afraid, trying to steady herself.

“No, Soo, it’s okay! It’s just me.” Yuqi reached a hand forward to try to reassure Soojin. “I saw you eating…”

“Stay back, don’t come any closer. I’m warning you, I’ll…”

Soojin was interrupted by the door to Miyeon’s room opening a crack and Miyeon’s head poking out. She was wrapped in a sheet for… modesty?... seemingly not at all bothered by clearly announcing that she’d just been having sex. “Is everything okay guys?”

Both Soojin and Yuqi stepped back, briefly overwhelmed by the wave of sex taste that came rolling out of Miyeon’s room, but Yuqi recovered first. “It’s okay unnie, it was just dark when I came in and Soojin startled me for a second.” _Mostly not a lie_ , Yuqi thought to herself. “You can go back to… what you were doing.”

Miyeon looked suspicious, glancing between the two of them, but retreated back inside her room.

Yuqi immediately turned her attention back to Soojin, raising her hands in front of her and backing away slowly, trying to seem as non-threatening as possible. She spoke quietly, trying to make sure Miyeon couldn’t hear. “It’s okay, I’m not gonna do anything to you. I’m…” her gaze flitted over to Miyeon’s door before fixing itself on Soojin again. “I’m _like_ you. I promise I won’t hurt you, okay? Can we just talk?” She motioned to the door of Soojin’s room, figuring that Soojin might feel more comfortable in her own space. “It’s just me, Yuqi, your _friend_.”

Soojin was clearly in fight-or-flight mode, but the reminder that Yuqi was her friend seemed to calm her just a bit. “If you try anything, you’ll regret it,” Soojin said, a _fierce_ warning in her eyes.

“I won’t. I promise.” Soojin retreated into her room, leaving the door open for Yuqi to follow, which Yuqi did. Soojin’s room tasted bland as always, with the usual tinge of sadness in the faint sexual energy. Yuqi had always assumed that Soojin’s room was bland because the girl preferred to use the shower to take care of herself, or maybe somewhere else entirely, but now she was starting to wonder if it might be something else. As Yuqi entered, she saw Soojin in a defensive position in the back of the room, now tightly gripping a sharp pair of scissors in her hand as a makeshift weapon.

“Hey, Soo, that’s not necessary…”

“ _Talk_.” This was clearly a command, not a request.

“I just… I saw you feeding from them and I recognized…” She paused for a moment but decided that the best course of action was just to be straightforward. “I’m a succubus too, Soo.”

“Don’t lie to me. I know you’re not.” Soojin was clearly disturbed that Yuqi knew what she had been doing.

“But… I _am_. Do you want me to take out my lenses and show you my eyes?”

“I don’t know how you found out about this, but if you know about those things already, you should know that you can’t fool me. You taste like a human.”

“ _Oh._ ” That made sense. “It’s cause I’m only half. I’m half human. You were probably tasting that.”

“That’s not possible. There haven’t been any half-bloods born in my generation.”

 _Half-bloods?_ That was a little bit offensive, but Yuqi shelved that thought for now to focus on calming her groupmate. “Look, I don’t know anything about that, but I know what I am. How can I prove it to you?”

Soojin’s gaze didn’t wander from Yuqi for a moment, her body still in its defensive position. “What’s your lineage?”

 _Lineage?_ “Ummm… my mom I guess? I’m not sure what you mean.”

Soojin’s patience was clearly starting to wear thin. Yuqi wasn’t immediately afraid of an imminent scissor-attack, but was starting to plot an exit strategy in the back of her mind.

“Your family name. Who _are_ you?”

“Do you mean Song?” No, that apparently wasn’t the right answer. “Oh, you mean my mom’s name? It was Wang Zhu Li.” This was starting to hurt. She’d finally found another succubus, but somehow even another succubus didn’t believe that she was what she said she was.

“There’s no family with that name in Beijing. I told you to stop lying.”

Yuqi’s emotions were starting to fray. “I’m not _lying_. Soojin, _please_. I just don’t know anything about this stuff. My mom…” Why the hell did she have to explain this in the very first conversation? “She left. I don’t know any others of us. I don’t know anything. Please believe me, Soo. _Please._ ” Yuqi was on the verge of tears.

Soojin still looked defensive, but the part of her that was Yuqi’s friend was starting to respond to Yuqi’s obvious distress.

“Okay fine. You can prove it.” She thought for a moment. “When did Miyeon and Shuhua first get together.”

 _Weird quiz, but ok._ “Ummm, in August, during the DUMDi DUMDi comebacks.” Seeing Soojin’s skepticism, she added, “but only once. They freaked out about it and then didn’t do it again till October.”

Soojin looked puzzled for a moment. “Oh. I missed that.” Her defensive expression returned. “But that doesn’t mean anything. You could’ve found that out just by talking with them. What boy group members at CUBE have had sex recently?”

 _That’s kind of a private thing to ask about them, but I guess she probably already knows._ Yuqi listed off all the members she could remember. “Oh, and the night guard in our building is sleeping with someone other than his wife.” Then she added, just to be safe, “She could be okay with it, I don’t know.” She didn’t want to slander someone when she didn’t know the whole situation.

Soojin still looked skeptical, but she finally relaxed her stance slightly, seeming a little bit drained from the stress. “Okay. I don’t know how you could… _exist_ without me hearing about you, but I don’t know how else you could know those things.”

This was the final straw for Yuqi. She sank to the ground in the corner of Soojin’s room, hot tears welling in her eyes. If Soojin wanted to stab her, Yuqi wouldn’t try to stop her. This was all way too messed up for Yuqi. She was totally overwhelmed. “Soo, _please_. I’ve been _alone_ with this for half my life since my…” A sniffle. “Can you at least _listen_ to me?”

“Hey… don’t… Yuqi…” Soojin set down the scissors and moved a little closer, still nervous but her concern for her crying groupmate winning out. “I just got scared, okay? I wasn’t expecting this.” She paused, trying to figure out what to say. “Do you really not know anything about… _us_?”

Yuqi looked up at Soojin and shook her head a little bit, sniffling. “My mom never taught me.” She wiped some tears away, but they were still coming. “But I want to learn, Soo, I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

Soojin sighed, and slowly knelt down and sat on the floor near Yuqi. She reached out a hand, offering it to Yuqi. The younger girl flinched away a bit, remembering what had happened when Soojin had touched her earlier, but Soojin reassured her gently. “I won’t do anything this time, I promise.” Yuqi, having more or less given up on self-defense, reluctantly reached over to hold Soojin’s hand. This time, no woozy feelings were forthcoming. “Just…” Soojin spoke slowly. “I need a minute to think, okay? This is all… I wasn’t prepared for this.”

“Neither was I, believe me.”

And they sat there together for a while, holding hands, one of them sniffling and one of them just thinking.

…

Twenty minutes later, Yuqi and Soojin were both sitting quietly on Soojin’s bed next to each other, knees up and arms wrapped around their legs. After a while of pondering (and no additional forthcoming threats), Soojin had quietly encouraged Yuqi to get up off the floor and come sit next to her on her bed. Now, though neither had yet spoken to address the issue at hand, they were at least both thinking _together_.

It was Soojin who asked the first question. “I don’t understand how I didn’t know about you. Were you… hidden?”

“I don’t think I ever _hid_ from anyone. I think I had a pretty normal childhood. I grew up and went to school and all the usual things.” Yuqi narrowed her eyes, thinking. “Did _you_ do those things?” As soon as she said it, she realized it was a dumb question. _Of course she did. Do you think she just showed up at CUBE as a random nobody with a mystery past?_

Soojin didn’t treat it as a dumb question though. “Yeah. The things I told you guys about how I grew up were mostly true.” She turned slightly to look at Yuqi again. “So your father is…?”

“Yeah, he’s a human.” Yuqi confirmed. She had made this part pretty clear already, but Soojin seemed to need to hear it again.

“Is he a… _special_ human?”

“Are there special kinds of humans?” Yuqi hadn’t heard anything about that before.

“No, I mean, like… is he powerful or something?”

“Oh. No, I don’t think he’s special in any way like that. He has money, but there are lots of richer and more powerful men in Beijing.”

“Oh.” Soojin was silent again for a while. She fidgeted with her socks.

“What did you do to me before? When you touched my arm.”

“You can’t do that?” Soojin frowned.

“I’m not sure. I didn’t know it was a thing, so I never tried.”

“Oh. Well, it’s called _charming_ , but it’s really just dosing someone with some of what you just ate. I basically just rubbed some of what I’d eaten from Miyeon and Shuhua on you. It does weird things to humans cause it’s like… an overdose of those pheromones? But it increases their attraction to you if they had any and it makes them confused and suggestible for a little bit.”

“It didn’t feel like that at all though when you did it to me.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry about that. For you it probably felt gross, like you were eating way too fast. I wouldn’t have done it to you if… if I knew, but I was just trying to make you stop thinking about what you saw.”

“Oh.” Yuqi didn’t really know what to make of that. “Do you… do it a lot? To get people to do things for you?”

“No, it’s not that… specific. It’s more like ‘overwhelming’ someone than ‘charming’ them. You can’t really tell what the results will be. People are sometimes really weirded out when it wears off.”

“So… you were gonna make me really attracted to you and then… tell me to go to my room or something?”

“No, I know you’re not really attracted to me.” She paused to think a bit. “At least I thought you aren’t? Is my tasting mixed up cause of…?”

Yuqi shook her head. “You’re obviously gorgeous, but I don’t really think of you that way.”

“Oh. Okay, that’s good.” She nodded. “I wasn’t trying to do anything with your… desires or anything, I just wanted to make you confused so you’d hopefully forget that you saw me.” She made an apologetic face. “If it matters, I would’ve felt really bad about doing it to you. It was just… kind of an emergency thing?”

“It’s okay.” Yuqi leaned over and bumped Soojin with her shoulder in a way she hoped was reassuring.

The two of them were quiet for another minute, but then Soojin spoke up.

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

“Ummm… sure, I guess?” Yuqi figured they were already pretty deep into personal territory, but she supposed it was nice of Soojin to still ask.

“How do you feel about Yeonjae?”

That wasn’t at all the question Yuqi had expected Soojin to ask. “Ummm… well, I really like her. She’s been amazing, and we kind of fit together naturally, I guess? Like I never get tired of spending time with her, and she makes me feel really safe.”

Soojin smiled, but Yuqi could tell that there was more than a hint of sadness in the girl’s expression. “That's... great, Yuqi. I'm happy for you.” _There’s definitely still more to unpack there._

“How about you?” Soojin turned and looked at Yuqi questioningly. “I mean… are you in a secret succubus relationship or anything that I don’t know about?”

“No.” Soojin answered simply, her gaze not meeting Yuqi’s.

“Oh. I just figured maybe you’d keep that a secret.”

“I’m not in one.”

“Oh.” Soojin apparently didn’t have anything more to say on this topic. An awkward silence grew between them. “Are you gonna tell others of… us… about me?”

“I think maybe we should take things slow. We don’t need to rush into it.”

 _Odd._ _Why does she want to wait to tell other succubi that I exist?_ “Ummm… ok I guess.” Yuqi drew circles on the bed with her finger. “What should we do for now then?”

“I can teach you some things I guess.” Soojin’s face was neutral.

“You mean like that charming thing you tried to do?”

“I’m not sure if I could teach you that. It’s more of a reflex. I’m not sure you if you can do it or not, it might just not be part of your biology.”

“Oh.” Yuqi wasn’t too disappointed by this possibility. It seemed like a pretty unpleasant thing to do to someone anyway. “Then what would you teach me?”

“I kind of want to see what you can do, but also I have some other things to explain to you. I’ll try to figure some things out and then sometime soon I’ll bring you someplace. Is that okay?”

“Okay.”

“Hey…” Soojin suddenly seemed awkward. “You know not to… tell Yeonjae about any of _this_ , right?”

“Oh, of course.” Yuqi was comfortable telling Yeonjae almost anything about herself, but… _Soojin has every right to decide that she wants to stay a secret._

Soojin seemed a little surprised by how easily Yuqi agreed. _Did she mean something else?_ But Soojin stood up before Yuqi could finish her thought. Her body language suggested that the conversation was ending. Yuqi had so many more things to ask, but it was late and she knew Soojin was probably worn out from the adrenaline she must have been feeling. Yuqi stood up too. “Yuqi…” Soojin held out her hand, taking Yuqi’s. “I’m really sad you had to be alone all this time, but I’ll try to… help a little bit now?”

Yuqi stepped forward and pulled Soojin into a hug. The older girl twitched for a moment, but eventually relaxed and hugged Yuqi back. “Thanks, Soo. I’m so glad I found you.”

* * *

When Yeonjae had texted Yuqi and told her to “get ready for a workout” at her studio two days later, Yuqi had imagined something a little bit more… _clothing optional_ than the situation she currently found herself in.

“Yuqi, if your company thinks you’re coming over here to practice rhythmic gymnastics, you’re probably eventually gonna have to show them some rhythmic gymnastics.”

“But…” Yuqi slumped against the wall of the studio, sweaty and worn out. With all due respect to IU- _sunbaenim_ , “Blueming” was not written for people to listen to the first sixty seconds _over_ and _over_ again for an hour and a half. The [routine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkPoMLkj-Yc) that Yeonjae had choreographed was nice, but it included exactly zero percent of the nakedness that Yuqi had been hoping to enjoy that afternoon with Yeonjae. _Don’t get me wrong, she looks_ hot _even in workout clothes, but…_

“Nope, no excuses. Up up up.” Yeonjae went over to start the music up again. “Starting with the first line of the chorus.” Yeonjae her hands for Yuqi to pull her up. “No ribbon this time. I want to see your form without it.”

Yuqi was too tired to even make a joke about Yeonjae wanting to see her _form_. She groaned and reached out her arms to let Yeonjae pull her up. But the older woman pulled her a little further than she expected, bringing her very close. She could see the sheen of sweat on Yeonjae’s gorgeous chest and suddenly she was _hungry_. “If you work _extra_ hard,” Yeonjae had leaned over and was speaking softly into Yuqi’s ear, “I’ll help you _clean yourself up_ after. Does that sound like fun?” Yuqi wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but she still nodded rapidly, Eyes wide. “I thought so.” Yeonjae gave Yuqi a playful swat on her rear. Yuqi squeak-yelped and scooted into her starting position, suddenly finding herself far more energetic.

…

When Yeonjae announced that their practice session was over, Yuqi let out a cheer and dashed toward the stairway to Yeonjae’s apartment. “Hey, slow down!” Yeonjae called after her, scrambling to put away the ribbons and grabbing her sweatshirt to follow Yuqi upstairs. When they were both upstairs, Yuqi lept at Yeonjae, but the older woman dodged. “Wait a minute.” Yuqi somehow managed to hold off a moment longer while Yeonjae circled the apartment and closed all the curtains to ensure their privacy. “I wanted to ask you something.” She motioned to the couch and moved to sit. Yuqi could tell that she was fiddling with something in her pocket.

“What’s going on?” As much as Yuqi wanted to _devour_ Yeonjae, she could tell that the older woman was serious about something.

“I thought about taking you out to a nice dinner or something for this but… I felt like this was a place we’ve shared a lot of special moments.”

_Is this…?_

Yeonjae pulled out a pair of rings. They were simple -- thin silver bands with a twist and some inlaid clear stones. “Will you be my girlfriend, Song Yuqi?”

 _Oh my god_. “Oh my god! Yes. So much yes.” Yuqi lept forward to hug Yeonjae, knocking her over back on to the couch. Yuqi kissed her, deeply and intimately, but Yeonjae rolled out from under her, giggling. “Give me your hand first.” Yuqi obliged, and squealed as Yeonjae slipped the ring on to her finger and then put her own on too. “You don’t have to wear it all the time. I know you have lots of outfits and stuff that you have to wear. But at least keep it close to you when you can?”

“Of course.” She leaned in and kissed Yeonjae again. “You’re my _girlfriend_ now,” she said, the joy and excitement obvious in her voice.

“Mhmm. All _yours_. Now stand up.”

 _Is this some other part of the girlfriend-having ritual?_ Yuqi had looked up lots of stories of how this often went, but wasn’t sure what this part was about. She stood up hesitantly. And then in an instant Yeonjae had Yuqi pressed against the wall, kissing her _aggressively_ and hands holding tight to her hips. “And now I get to kiss my _girlfriend_.” _Yes please. I'm your girlfriend. Give your girlfriend all the kisses please._ Yuqi’s hands suddenly found themselves around Yeonjae’s top, tugging it upwards, and Yeonjae happily obliged. Yuqi’s mouth immediately started moving downward to Yeonjae’s neck and… below, but Yeonjae gently stopped her. “Wait. First, you too?” Her hand was holding the bottom of Yuqi’s shirt. Yuqi nodded. She was still a bit shy, but they had already spent one afternoon together half-naked in bed so this didn’t feel so intimidating. Yeonjae dropped both of their shirts in a pile on the floor, and leaned in to kiss Yuqi tenderly, their sweaty naked chests pressing together. It felt soft, but _raw_. Yuqi’s hands found their way lower, tentatively grabbing at Yeonjae’s ass.

Yeonjae pulled back for a moment, smiling a smile that fell somewhere between excited and amused. “I was wondering when you’d get the courage to do that.” She tilted her head to press a hot kiss to Yuqi’s neck. “You can touch, it’s okay.”

Yuqi nervously obliged, her hands slowly exploring the curves of Yeonjae’s hips and moving lower, still staying outside of her workout pants. Yeonjae was clearly fixated on the movements of her hand even though she hadn’t yet dared to explore the space between Yeonjae’s thighs.

“Mmmmm Yuqi…” Yeonjae extracted herself, placing a few more slow kisses on Yuqi’s neck and mouth before standing back a step. “Let’s go take a shower.”

“Oh.” _Is that it? This is all I get? What happened to cleaning_ _me up?_ In hindsight, Yuqi wasn’t sure what Yeonjae had actually meant when she promised to _clean her up_. Yuqi had been imagining some images of some kind of sponge bath as motivation to get through the practice session, but that didn’t seem to be forthcoming and it might have been a little beyond her comfort zone anyways. “You can go first if you want.”

But Yeonjae was giggling for some reason. “No, silly, _together_.”

“ _Oh._ ” _That_ was a different thing entirely. But… “I’m not sure if I’m ready for… that… yet.” Yuqi, despite being topless and _incredibly_ turned on, still managed to look sheepish.

“I know, don’t worry. We’re not gonna have sex for the first time standing up in the shower. That would be terrible.” Yeonjae took Yuqi’s hand and led her toward her bedroom. She opened her closet, pulling open a few drawers as if scanning for something. “Here. Swimsuit bottoms.” Yeonjae had pulled out two pairs, handing one to Yuqi.

“You mean we’re gonna shower together but wear… swimsuits?”

“The bottoms only. If you’re okay with that, of course.”

“Oh. That seems… okay I think.” Yuqi was mentally reviewing the catalogue of videos she’d watched and articles she’d read. She couldn’t remember any that mentioned Showering-Together-But-Wearing-Swimsuit-Bottoms. There had been plenty of videos of showering together _naked_ , but those almost always included some sort of sex. And Yeonjae had said _no sex_. Yuqi wasn’t totally sure where on the Progression of Sexual Things this activity fell, but she trusted Yeonjae.

“You can change in here, and I’ll change in the bathroom and start the shower.” With another kiss to Yuqi’s cheek, Yeonjae disappeared into the bathroom.

A moment later, Yuqi found herself totally naked in Yeonjae’s bedroom by herself, quickly slipping on the swimsuit bottoms with her clothes in a pile on the floor. She stepped toward the bathroom, pausing. _Should I wait a little longer? Yeonjae could still be changing. Ohmygod, Yeonjae could be_ naked _in there._ Thoughts of _accidentally_ walking in on Yeonjae changing flew through Yuqi’s head, but she waited for a minute before she knocked.

“You can come in.” Yeonjae’s voice came from the other side of the door.

Yuqi opened the door and stepped in. Yeonjae, like Yuqi, was naked except for the swimsuit bottoms. _Oh my god she’s almost naked. And I’m almost naked too. Ohmygod._ Yuqi was blushing. _Why am I blushing? I just saw her topless like two minutes ago._

“See if you like the water temperature?”

 _Oh. Right. The shower._ Yuqi stepped toward the shower, having to turn sideways in the small bathroom to scoot past Yeonjae, who placed a hand softly on Yuqi’s hip as she moved by. “It’s good.” The water was steamy, and the mirror was already starting to fog up.

“After you then.” Yeonjae smiled. Yuqi stepped into the shower and Yeonjae followed, sliding the shower curtain closed behind them. They were suddenly very close to each other, standing in the dim, wet warmth of the shower. Yeonjae stepped under the stream of water first, the hot water running in tiny rivers down her body. She moved closer to Yuqi, put her hands on Yuqi’s hips, and leaned in to kiss her gently. It was the exact same way she’d leaned in to kiss Yuqi the first time, just a couple of weeks ago. _Except this time we’re mostly naked in a shower together._

“Let’s get you wet too,” Yeonjae said after accustoming herself to the temperature. Yuqi gulped, and Yeonjae giggled. “I meant with water, but I don’t mind the other way too.” Yuqi was sure she was flushed from the steamy heat of the shower, but if she weren’t, she’d definitely be bright red from blushing. Yeonjae leaned in to give Yuqi a reassuring kiss on the cheek. “Can I ask if you’ve… done this before?”

“Ummm… I mean… not like _this_ , in the shower I guess.” _Is now the right time to…_ Yuqi shuffled awkwardly, and Yeonjae seemed to notice.

“Is everything okay? You seem uncomfortable. We can stop if you want…?”

“No, definitely not, I’m fine with this… it’s just…” _It’ll be okay, Yuqi. She won’t judge you._ “There’s a lot of… stuff… I haven’t done before.”

“Like… sex?”

 _Is that a surprised question? Is she disappointed?_ “Ummm… yeah.”

“So probably all of the stuff we haven’t done yet will be new for you?”

 _She doesn’t seem disappointed…?_ “Yeah, I guess.”

“Okay, thanks for telling me.” Yeonjae kissed Yuqi softly but somehow... _matter-of-factly?_ _Does she not think this is a big deal?_ “I know you’re probably a little nervous, but we can go as slow as you need, okay? I just want you to be happy, I won’t be upset at all if you say you want to stop.”

“I might not be very… good at… making you feel good though…”

“Oh, don’t worry about that at all.” She shrugged. “I probably won’t be that good at making you feel good either when we’re just starting. I don’t know what you like. But honestly, I don’t mind just focusing on you for a while at first if you’re nervous about making me feel good. I like seeing you happy, I don’t need you to get me off every time.”

 _Oh._ Yuqi wasn’t entirely sure she bought this explanation, but at least Yeonjae didn’t seem disappointed.

Yeonjae looked at her questioningly. “So… are you okay with this? Should we keep going?” Yuqi nodded, a tiny bit more confident, so Yeonjae continued. “Maybe we should set some boundaries for this time? I’ll go first. It’s okay if you explore and touch anywhere except inside here.” She tapped her swimsuit bottoms. “That can come another time.”

“Okay, I think that’s good. Those will be my boundaries too.” Yuqi had actually done some… personal maintenance… in that region in case Yeonjae ended up exploring it today, but she was probably a little more comfortable with waiting anyway.

“Cool. So then… can I…” Yeonjae scooted by Yuqi, their bodies squishing together in the tight space as they passed. She guided Yuqi underneath the stream of hot water, and slowly started running her hands over Yuqi’s neck and shoulders, gently helping the hot water wash the sweat away. _This is a lot more… tender than I thought it would be._

“I thought… being in the shower… would be more… like… aggressive… or acrobatic or something” Yuqi said slowly, her brain working hard to make sentences.

Yeonjae giggled a little bit but ( _thankfully_ ) didn’t stop. She was rubbing water down Yuqi’s arms now, taking them in her hands and gently massaging them. “You probably have expectations from… stuff you’ve watched? And read?”

“Yeah… and also stuff I’ve… eaten… but…” Words were hard. “I can’t really… see what they’re… doing… when I eat.”

“Mhmmm. It can be fun to watch the stuff that’s like that. I like to sometimes. But when it’s just us, we can do it however we like.” She was gently rubbing Yuqi’s forearms now, and she leaned over to kiss Yuqi’s shoulder. “And what I like is taking care of you.” Her hands slid from Yuqi’s forearms to her stomach. _Wait, no, you skipped the fun part!_ Yuqi tried to pull Yeonjae’s hands from her stomach up to her chest. _Clean this part please!_ But Yeonjae had a sly grin on her face and didn’t relent, still slowly rinsing and massaging Yuqi’s stomach and wrapping her hands around Yuqi to reach her back. “I also like teasing you.” And then she was kissing a line of kisses from Yuqi’s neck downwards, and all of a sudden Yuqi got exactly what she had been waiting for. Yeonjae’s mouth on her breast, teasing her nipple, pulling away to let the hot water run down her chest and then starting again, her hands slowly making circles on Yuqi’s almost-naked hips. Yuqi’s legs were like jelly, and she was honestly surprised that she could still stand.

Yeonjae paused for a moment, thinking. “Hmmm… close your eyes.” Yuqi obeyed without question. _Do anything you want to me._ And a moment later Yuqi felt a cool, thick liquid on her shoulders and Yeonjae’s hands rubbing. _Oh… is that…_ _is she actually_ washing _me?_ It felt like Yeonjae was rubbing some sort of body wash or shower gel on her. Yuqi could feel the soapy suds building up as Yeonjae’s hands slowly glided across her skin.

Yuqi opened her eyes for a moment. “Are you…” But then Yeonjae stopped and stared at her, an eyebrow cocked. “Okay, okay! Eyes closed. _Please_ keep going.”

“That’s better.” Yuqi felt Yeonjae’s hands moving lower, down her chest, gently but thoroughly washing her breasts. And then lower, to her stomach, and then _lower_. Yuqi’s heart was racing as she felt Yeonjae’s soapy hands exploring the curves of her hips and then the reaching behind to explore more and then… Yuqi’s breath caught. Yeonjae’s hands were gently rubbing the space between her thighs, not quite at the fabric of the swimsuit bottom but just below. The entirety of Yuqi’s focus was now on Yeonjae’s hands. They were _millimeters_ away from the part of her that was probably _most_ soaked right now. But Yeonjae didn’t linger long. Her hands continued down Yuqi’s legs and to her calves and stopped at her feet. Yuqi couldn’t see, but Yeonjae was probably kneeling now. That would mean her face was just about at the height of…

“Okay. You’re all soaped up. Now you can rinse.” Yuqi opened her eyes just as Yeonjae moved in to kiss her again. They connected awkwardly and Yeonjae laughed a little bit, breaking the kiss, but she returned quickly to finish what she’d started. “So what did you think?” she asked when she finally pulled away.

“I want you to do that to me all day every day.”

Yeonjae giggled. “You’d turn into a giant prune from being in the shower all the time. Your group would be five humans and a half-human, half-succubus, half-prune.”

Yuqi winced, suddenly reminded of the new secret she had to keep from Yeonjae, that her group really only had four and a half humans. _How am I ever going to be able to keep anything from Yeonjae?_

“Hey… I’d still like you if you were half-prune,” Yeonjae said, mistaking the expression on Yuqi’s face for self-consciousness. She slid a hand down so her fingers were resting on Yuqi’s thigh. “I think you’d probably taste better this way though.” And just as quickly, Yuqi’s mind was back with Yeonjae. _We’ll think about secrets later. Right now is…_ and Yuqi suddenly completely stopped thinking. Yeonjae was very slowly trailing a finger along the fabric of the swimsuit between her legs. She wasn’t rubbing or stroking, just… wandering. Back and forth, meandering and exploring. And then the moment was over. “Did you like that?”

“Y-yes.” Yuqi forced the words out. “A lot. I think I’m almost ready for…”

“Sex?”

Yuqi gulped. “Yeah. That.” And suddenly the glorious melody of Yeonjae’s laughter filled the shower.

“Yuqi, remember when you made fun of me because I couldn’t say…” she wiggled a bit. “… _masturbating_? And now you can’t say the word _sex_?”

“ _Ohmygod._ ” Yuqi covered her face. “ _Sex._ ”

“There we go. Now rinse yourself off and we can go take a nap.”

“Oh. You don’t want me to…?”

“No, it’s okay. I had a lot of fun, and now I just want to cuddle with you.” She paused for a moment. “I _am_ gonna wash myself off really quick because I still feel a little sweaty, but that’ll just take two seconds.”

Yuqi rinsed herself off, swapped places with Yeonjae, and watched with rapt attention as _Son Yeonjae_ washed off her almost-completely naked body _right in front of her_.

 _I’m the luckiest half-…_ Oh. _I’m the_ only _half-succubus alive._

…

Yuqi and Yeonjae had given each other some privacy to dry off and swap the swimsuit bottoms for underwear. Yuqi was a little surprised that Yeonjae didn’t suggest that they put their workout pants back on for more modesty, and she was also a little surprised that she wasn’t nervous to cuddle with Yeonjae without them. Their fresh, clean, nearly naked bodies were curled up together in Yeonjae’s bed, with Yeonjae’s chest pressed up against Yuqi’s back and her arms around Yuqi’s stomach.

But Yuqi’s mind wasn’t totally on Yeonjae. Part of her was thinking about the Soojin-sized elephant in the room. _One of the biggest things to happen to me in years just happened, and I can’t tell Yeonjae about it._ “Hey unnie?” She said quietly.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s… nothing’s wrong. This is all amazing.” She knew that Yeonjae could sense the distraction in her voice, so she explained. “It’s just that… what if I had to keep a secret from you?”

Yeonjae pulled her hands back and propped herself up to look at Yuqi. “What kind of secret?”

“Well…”

“Yuqi…” Yeonjae’s face fell into a look of concern. “This isn’t a hypothetical, is it?”

Yuqi sighed, not knowing how to answer. “Something happened. And it’s really important to me, but I promised not to tell anyone.” _Actually, I specifically promised not to tell_ you.

“Oh. We’re not talking about a next-album-release-date kind of secret are we.” It was phrased as a question, but Yuqi knew it wasn’t.

“It’s just that part of it is something very private about something else, and they could get in a lot of trouble if it ever got out.”

Yeonjae made a face that Yuqi hadn’t ever seen before, and that she really didn’t like. “And you don’t trust me to be able to keep that secret?”

Yuqi pulled away from Yeonjae, the inches between them suddenly feeling like miles, but she felt the need to stand her ground on this one. “Yeonjae… I’ve trusted you with the most dangerous secrets I have. I’ve literally given you the ability to destroy my life and maybe even _end_ it. Please don’t _ever_ say I don’t trust you.” Yeonjae didn’t seem to have expected such a strong, almost _harsh_ answer. She was silent for a while.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t question whether you trust me.” Yeonjae sighed, reaching for Yuqi’s hand, trying to bridge their sudden gap. Yuqi allowed her to take it, though she didn’t fully give in to Yeonjae’s advance.

“If I could tell you, I would in a heartbeat. And believe me when I say I want to. But I made a promise to someone I care about… a _friend_ who I care about, and I can’t break that promise.”

“I think that some part of me understands that you’re probably doing the right thing for your friend, but... I _really_ don’t like having big secrets in a relationship…”

Yeonjae’s words pierced Yuqi deeply. “Does that mean…” She struggled to get the words out. “You don’t want to do this then? If I have to keep this secret?”

“I still want to be with you, Yuqi. I care a lot about you, and I’m really glad you can trust me for as much as you do. It just makes me sad, that’s all. And maybe it’s unfair for me to feel that way, but that’s how it is.”

Yuqi really didn’t like making Yeonjae sad. “I hate being in this position.”

“Awww hey.” Yeonjae scooted toward Yuqi and pulled her into a hug, kissing her neck gently. “It’s just part of being an adult, having to deal with things like this. My Yuqi baby is growing up.”

Yuqi snuggled into Yeonjae’s arms, letting her uncertainty and angst be drowned out by the softness of her skin. _We’re_ definitely _gonna have a conversation about that nickname. Just… later._

…

In classic unnie fashion, Yeonjae had made sure that Yuqi was well fed in _both_ ways before she left. She’d ordered a healthy amount of fried chicken delivery and the two of them had snacked in her kitchen wearing Yeonjae’s oversized t-shirts and underwear and nothing else. Their dinner was interrupted frequently by kisses and butt-touches, both silly and… more aggressive. At one point Yeonjae discovered (mostly by accident) exactly how ticklish Yuqi was. “I’m going to _enjoy_ this.”

Yuqi eventually had to head back to her dorm, reluctant to leave but very full in all respects.

She arrived home shortly after and found Miyeon and Soojin hanging out in their living room. Miyeon seemed to be watching something on her laptop, and Soojin was lying on the couch looking at her phone. Miyeon smiled when Yuqi arrived, amused at how pleased and self-satisfied Yuqi looked. The expression on Soojin’s face was a bit more complicated, clearly changing once Yuqi’s _taste_ reached her.

 _Oh, that’s right. She can taste me… and Yeonjae too._ She knew that it wasn’t a choice for Soojin, and she was pretty sure that Soojin… _at least the Soojin I think I know?..._ would choose to give her privacy if she could, but something about it still unnerved her. _I guess people would probably feel the same about me if they knew how much about them I could taste._ Maybe it wasn’t fair of her, but Yuqi felt… _unnerved_ … by how much Soojin could sense about her developing relationship.

In a moment, Soojin was standing up and moving toward her, an expression that Yuqi couldn’t parse on her face, stopping only to slip on her shoes. “Let’s go out, Yuqi. We can get some dinner.”

“I… already ate, unnie. I got delivery with Yeonjae.”

“Well I’m hungry. And you could use some more _variety_ in your… _diet_.”

And suddenly Soojin was pulling her out the door with surprising strength, leaving a bewildered Miyeon in their wake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, now we know a little more about why Soojin might be sad, but not everything. I'm curious if anyone can guess. I think there are enough hints if you're really creative, but it's definitely not explicit yet. As always, please give Soojin the benefit of the doubt. There are reasons she's not being the best groupmate, and her actions will make sense eventually.
> 
> I’m gonna have to be careful with this fic, or Miyeon will have to do some [bopping](https://i.imgur.com/S0buOiz.jpg) and sending people to [horny jail](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u35QD7UxcbE).


	9. Lonely life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soojin had no idea whether there were particular protocols for half-bloods. _The last time one was born was…_ Soojin thought back to her history lessons… _a long time ago_. She knew that the elders certainly wouldn’t _harm_ Yuqi. A succubus was far too precious a thing to waste, even when she’s half human. _No, they’d watch over her just as they watch over me_. And maybe that was exactly the problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're in the second story arc now and some things are gonna be a bit different. Like this chapter.

Soojin had woken up _hungry_ that morning, and she was in a very not-good mood. For some _unfathomable_ reason Miyeon and Shuhua had decided just to _cuddle_ the previous night, and even Yuqi had fallen asleep early, probably tired from her schedule. Soojin still hadn’t really decided how she felt about feeding from Yuqi. It felt strange feeding from… _one of us? Is she really one of us?_... but Soojin couldn’t really decline even if she wanted to. Anyway, even if the half-succubus tasted fairly bland, likely because of her mixed blood, she did provide a _steady output_ of bland taste, especially now that she had apparently found herself a vibrator.

Soojin hung around the apartment for a while, snacking on a little bit of human food to sate her _other_ hunger. For better or for worse, good old _calories_ were still a requirement for her survival, as uninteresting as she tended to find them. The many tastes that fulfilled her other hunger were the ones that truly drove her – the sweet citrus flavor of young, fresh love, the filling meaty taste of a couple growing more intimate, the deep wine-tinged notes of a mature relationship, and even the oily, salty taste of hidden desires. She was hoping that Miyeon and Shuhua would wake up and opt for morning sex, but she was disappointed to taste only light, biscuit-flavored kissing and a familiar mild caramel -- probably a little bit of fooling around -- before Shuhua emerged to head back to her room in the other girls’ apartment to start her morning routine. They had offered a far wider variety of tastes in the past week or two than Soojin had found almost anywhere else, but this morning’s tastes were disappointingly muted.

It seemed unlikely that Soojin would find anything particularly satisfying to eat in the apartment, so she decided to go for a walk to forage a bit. She texted the girls’ group chat to say that she’d be going to the convenience store and that they should tell her if they needed anything. She grabbed a jacket and a scarf and headed downstairs. She opted to conserve energy as she left the building, taking the all-too-slow elevator. The familiar surroundings meant that she didn’t feel the need to waste energy on boosting her senses. The morning front desk guard offered a bit of a snack, a plain but inoffensive taste combination of cheese and a pastry. He and his boyfriend had apparently had mediocre but generally satisfying sex before he’d left for work. Soojin smiled and nodded at the man as she fed from him, walking past slowly so as to capture what she could without appearing too strange.

The day was sunny but windy, with a cold February chill. Their neighborhood was well-maintained, but the now-melted snowfall from earlier that week had left traces of city smog and wet dirt all over the sidewalks. She spent a little bit of her energy as she stepped outside, fueling her heightened senses to identify anybody interesting who might be nearby. Her senses expanded outward, revealing currents running between and around the muted metal landscape of this part of the city. Human-shaped taste blobs appeared to her as pings on what she liked to think of as some sort of radar, but to her disappointment nobody stood out as a particularly exciting target. Mostly just faint, tangy masturbation tastes. There was a young couple out walking who Soojin had observed a few times before, but, judging from their tastes, they appeared to be delaying having sex. Perhaps until marriage. Soojin didn’t mind the concept of religion, but as a succubus she had inherited a deep distaste for anybody who discouraged happy, consenting couples from having sex because it was _immoral_. _Keep your morality away from my meals, please._

Soojin walked the few blocks to the usual convenience store, checking her texts. Apparently Yuqi had eaten the last of Minnie’s chocolate again, so the older girl was asking Soojin to pick up a new supply. _Easy enough_. She’d been planning to refill her own supply anyway.

“Hello!” She nodded to greet the store owner as she walked in. He was an older man, perhaps in his sixties, with thinning hair and a salt-and-pepper beard. Much to Soojin’s surprise and _delight_ , he tasted _delicious_ this morning, a lovely combination of flaky pastry and berry jam, with undertones of meat and gravy. Relaxing sex, probably, but with a mature passion. “How are you today? How is your wife?” Soojin had been _tending_ the man for more than a year now, and they frequently chatted when she came in. He had been married for a long time, but when Soojin first met him, the marriage had become routine and not particularly _exciting_. Through tiny snippets of conversation here and there, Soojin came to understand why. The man certainly cared for his wife, but he’d never really understood her need for him to re-announce his affection for her occasionally in special ways. He probably assumed that his affection was obvious after their decades of marriage, but… _not everybody works that way. Some people need to hear it said out loud._ _I wonder which I am?_

So, through careful, inconspicuous conversational nudges, she’d gotten him to change just enough that things had _improved_.

 _“Oh, I’m just buying a flower for a friend today. Your wife must love it when you get her flowers. Does she have a favorite kind?”_ _(Soojin guessed that the man had never asked, but maybe this would make him think about it)._

_“Did you say your wedding anniversary is coming up, sir? I’m sure your wife is looking forward to celebrating with you.”_

_“My friend’s boyfriend cooked for her the other day and she thought it was the most romantic thing, even though he wasn’t very good at it. What kinds of things do you like to cook, sir?” (She didn’t currently have a friend with a boyfriend, but a little white lie certainly wouldn’t hurt in this case)._

_“How did you meet your wife, sir? Do you remember your first date? Have you ever taken her back there to remind her of when you first met? That would be so romantic, I hope I can do that someday.”_

And little by little, the man seemed to respond to her nudges. The first thing she noticed was his cleaned-up appearance. He shaved more regularly and chose outfits that matched his age and stature better. When she asked how his wife was doing, he would occasionally mention something nice they had done together, and she would praise him and stroke his romantic ego. And after a while, her _human-gardening_ started to bear _fruit_. She remembered the exact morning that she’d walked into the store to find a _delicious_ sex-taste meal waiting for her, a hearty stew with several side dishes. The man actually _blushed_ when she asked him how his wife was doing. It didn’t happen every day after that, but it happened often enough that Soojin felt that her efforts had been worthwhile. Though the _gardening_ had taken a few months to really have a noticeable effect, it was far from the biggest challenge she’d tackled. The two of them clearly already loved each other. They just needed a few little nudges.

Soojin took the maximum amount of time it was acceptable to wander without purchasing anything, chatting with the man as she perused the snack-laden aisles, before she reluctantly picked up a few chocolate bars for Minnie and herself and moved to the counter to pay and leave. The store-owner-meal would give her plenty of energy for most of the rest of the day without her having to dip into her reserves, which had been a bit depleted since her encounter with Yuqi a couple of nights before. She even allowed herself to hope that she might get a meal later from the night guard. Yuqi had been correct in identifying that he had been having sex with someone other than his wife, but she apparently hadn’t honed her taste enough to tell that both he and his wife were having sex with the same man, usually together. It sometimes tasted awkward, a soup without the right amount of spice, but it had a growing sense of intimacy. It was a delicate arrangement with the potential to fracture at any time, but Soojin allowed herself some optimism. Maybe he’d become a regular source of meals. She wasn’t able to _tend_ him at all – the topic was far too sensitive, and her intrusion would likely have been _very_ poorly received, but he seemed to be doing alright on his own.

She briefly expanded her senses a bit when she got back outside the convenience store, but no new tastes were forthcoming, so she headed back to the dorm. In a good mood now and full of energy, she opted to take the stairs instead of the elevator, expending a bit of her energy to run all the way up, and arriving at the top without even breathing too heavily. _Today might end up being a good day after all._

* * *

Miyeon had asked Soojin to come with her to the company to help her practice some choreography that was a little more on the sexy side than she was naturally comfortable with. She was a hard worker when a situation required her to be, and she had a natural affinity for _cute_ and _pretty_ and _pure_ , but being _sexy_ took time and work for her to get right. And for some reason she ended up having to _twerk_ for choreo and on reality segments far more often than… _well, she tries hard. She gets credit for that._

Soojin had tried to nudge Yuqi into coming along, but apparently the half-blood had other plans. _Yeonjae. What the hell am I gonna do about Yeonjae?_ At least being with Miyeon allowed her plenty of time to think. The oldest member was more than happy to carry most of the conversation by herself, chatting away about videos she’d watched and food she wanted to eat. It was also pleasantly easy to elicit small tastes from Miyeon so Soojin could keep her energy up while they practiced. Like many of Soojin’s colleagues, both male and female, Miyeon occasionally offered tiny hints of attraction when she watched Soojin dance. Miyeon’s were usually a faint peppermint taste. But far more exciting were her variety of tastes when Soojin mentioned Shuhua.

 _“Did you see that new shirt Shuhua bought?” Soojin asked, “She looks so cute in it.” Miyeon had_ definitely _seen Shuhua wearing that shirt and, very soon thereafter, Shuhua_ not _wearing that shirt._ _With Soojin’s nudge, Miyeon’s thoughts predictably strayed, and Soojin got a snack. A juicy apple flavor this time, good energy for dancing._

The logical thing to do about the whole Yuqi… situation… would be for Soojin to reach out to her parents and the other families in Seoul, and the elders in the city could decide what to do with her. Soojin had no idea whether there were particular protocols for half-bloods. _The last time one was born was_ … Soojin thought back to her history lessons… _a long time ago_. She knew that the elders certainly wouldn’t _harm_ Yuqi. A succubus was far too precious a thing to waste, even when she’s half human. _No, they’d watch over her just as they watch over me._ And maybe that was exactly the problem.

Miyeon was performing the choreography well. Soojin wasn’t totally sure why exactly she needed help, but maybe she wasn’t feeling confident yet or maybe she just needed an excuse to get out of the apartment for a little while. Shuhua could be overbearing sometimes with her affection, and Soojin had tried to take up some of that burden by feeding her and satisfying her need for attention, but maybe Miyeon still needed a break.

“Hey, Soo, can we talk for a minute?”

_Oh. So that’s what this is about._

“Sure, unnie. What’s up?”

Miyeon sat down on the mostly-clean floor, indicating for Soojin to join her, and Soojin did. “Shu and I… we noticed that you’ve seemed kind of sad recently. Is there… anything you want to talk about?”

 _Where did this come from?_ Soojin thought she’d been doing pretty well at acting normal recently. “Uhh… no, everything’s fine.”

“I know you’re not really the type to tell people when you’re hurting, but…”

_Sure, because I have no one I can tell._

“…but I just wanted to see if you wanted to let anything out…? You can say anything, Soo, even if it’s about us, if we’re bothering you, or you’re not… comfortable with us…”

What was _that_ supposed to mean? “Why would I be uncomfortable?”

“It’s just that we haven’t really talked about… Shu and me… since that time when things didn’t go so well, when Shu was yelling at me and you left, and… and you never really said how you felt about us.”

 _Oh. OH._ “You think I might not be happy that you guys are together?”

Miyeon shrugged, an uncertain look in her eyes. Soojin noticed her shoulders rise and her jaw muscles tighten defensively. “I… I just wanted to give you the chance to say something if you needed to.”

“Unnie… I’m so happy for you. I promise I am. That has nothing to do with it.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Soojin cringed. _Shit._

“So there really _is_ something that’s making you unhappy.” Miyeon tilted her head, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips.

“It’s… it’s really nothing, unnie. I’m just stressed.” Soojin’s discomfort had instinctively caused all of her senses to focus toward Miyeon, her subconscious classifying the older woman as a threat to Soojin’s secret truths. It wasn’t a particularly helpful reaction right now, but her senses had evolved to favor overreacting instead of underreacting. Tiny details suddenly stood out to Soojin, and her mind identified patterns. Miyeon’s skin smelled like a brand of lotion that Shuhua liked but only kept in her own bedroom, meaning that Miyeon had been there this morning. Soojin noticed tiny, almost imperceptible fingernail marks around Miyeon's hips where her shirt had lifted slightly. Miyeon's fingers had a very faint but now-distinct smell from being inside Shuhua that was lingering even now after the older girl had washed her hands. 

Soojin knew that these signals were her body’s way of informing her of her options. Her body’s unconscious reflexes were telling her that Miyeon could probably be distracted, nudged away from the topic at hand if necessary by redirecting her attention, but Soojin’s conscious mind decided that it was best to talk this one out. Distracting Miyeon now would only delay this conversation.

“Soo, you can talk to me. And Shu too. If you’d rather talk to her that’s fine. We both really care about you.”

 _No you don’t. I care so much about both of_ you _, but you don’t even know who I really am._ Soojin’s insides curled up. She really _did_ care about Miyeon, and she hated having to deceive her. _What can I say that involves the least amount of lying?_ “Okay, fine, it’s nothing big. It’s just that… with you and Shu and… Yuqi and Yeonjae being so close and happy together… it’s easy to feel a little left out.” She had to admit that it was nice to have consistent meals so close to home, _but_ … it was easy for her to feel left out because of... _everything_. 

“Awww… Soo…” Miyeon leaned over and wrapped herself around Soojin, who cringed a bit but… once she let herself relax, the hug felt really nice. It was warm, soft, and comfortingly minty. _I’m sorry I can’t be honest with you, Miyeon unnie. I really wish I could._

Miyeon continued, “I never want you to feel like you’re not important to us, okay? You’re such an amazing person, and we all love you. And honestly, you’re just like… such a _good_ human being all the way through. Probably the best out of all of us.”

The half of Soojin that could still manage to find sad humor in all of this cracked up at that last part. _The best human isn’t even human._ Miyeon looked confused. “Did I say something weird?” She concentrated, going back over her words to try to figure out what she’d said. “I don’t think I did…”

“No, nothing weirder than your normal self.” Soojin finally returned Miyeon’s hug. “And I love you for it.” Miyeon seemed a bit surprised by the unusual display of affection, but this only made her hug Soojin tighter.

And for a little while, sitting on the floor in the dance studio at their company, Soojin let herself forget about everything else.

* * *

Unfortunately, a clear reminder of _everything else_ came in the form of a taste cloud that rolled into their apartment’s living room when Yuqi got back that evening. Despite her discomfort at the idea of feeding from her groupmate’s… relationship… Soojin had to admit that Yeonjae tasted very nice. Today her taste on Yuqi was frozen yogurt with berry topping. Whatever she and Yuqi had done that afternoon was definitely emotionally intimate, if not physically intense. On a whim, Soojin expended some of her hard-earned energy to focus her senses. _Evidence of physical exertion from the swelling of her muscles, but not from sex. Looks like she was dancing with Yeonjae?_ Had they actually done some of the rhythmic gymnastics practice that they had been telling the company for so long was the purpose of Yuqi’s visits? Soojin looked closer. _And… a shower with an unfamiliar body wash scent, with all of her body washed thoroughly except her hair and… oh. They showered together, but Yuqi was shy? And…_ as Yuqi started to take off her winter jacket, one more detail immediately caught Soojin’s attention. _A ring. Yeonjae gave her a couple ring. Shit._

Soojin knew she had to do something, but she didn’t know what. Her mind flew through a variety of options, mentally testing each option in her usual toolkit, but none fit. This situation was far from usual, far from what she’d been trained to handle. We’re _supposed to be gardeners. We tend people’s relationships, not…_ A plan started to form in her head. Though she had of course received years of training herself, she wasn’t nearly old enough to have had the opportunity to train a new generation in turn, so she didn’t have any practice or guidance on how best to teach. It was risky. Soojin knew that if the elders had their way, Yuqi would be trained by a skilled, experienced trainer, but…

Soojin stood up, moving toward the door with added energy in her pace. “Let’s go out, Yuqi. We can get some dinner.” She was deciding between several feeding locations, weighing the pros and cons of each. In traditional lessons, when young succubi were first taught about feeding, they were often brought to sexually-charged locations -- bars late at night, spots near to (but obviously not directly inside) love motels, and occasionally red light districts. But Yuqi didn’t need lessons on what _feeding_ was like. She needed lessons on what _being a succubus_ was like. And that presented a more significant challenge.

“I… already ate, unnie. I got delivery with Yeonjae.” Obviously puzzled by Soojin’s sudden assertiveness, Yuqi wasn’t making any move to follow her, but Soojin wasn’t in a mood to spend time and energy convincing her.

“Well I’m hungry. And you could use some more _variety_ in your… _diet_.” Soojin didn’t mean for it to sound spiteful, but somehow her words unintentionally carried some of the frustration and confusion she was feeling, unloading them on to Yuqi as Soojin pulled the younger woman out the door.

“Wait, where are we going?” Fortunately, Yuqi was following of her own accord now without Soojin having to actually drag her, but she was still lagging behind. Yuqi stopped at the elevator, but Soojin kept walking and wordlessly opened the door to the stairwell. _Time for_ _test number one_.

“Keep up.” And then Soojin was sprinting down the stairs, her movements verging on inhumanly precise and quick. Despite her pace, she made barely any sound, with only soft tapping of her shoes against the stairs echoing back and forth.

Yuqi _did_ manage to keep up, more or less, but with _far_ less precision and stealth. She clattered down the stairs, grabbing the railings to keep her balance as she made sharp turn after sharp turn, each step filling the space with a heavy, echoing thump. “What the hell, Soo?” Yuqi was almost completely out of breath by the time she reached the bottom, but a confused look filled her panting face as she realized that Soojin’s breathing had barely increased in pace. “What… how did…” She tried to form a coherent question in between breaths, but mostly failed.

“Hmm.” _Test number one: fail._ The use of accumulated energy to fuel physical movement was a fairly basic skill that young succubi tended to pick up quickly. It was the concentrated release of the energy they’d absorbed into the cognitive and muscular processes that controlled their movements. It didn’t make them _supernaturally_ strong or fast by any means, it just allowed them to reach and maintain their physical peak more quickly and for longer. Yuqi had apparently not mastered this, at least not to the extent of being able to do it consciously, and that didn’t bode well for her next tests.

Soojin walked out of the building, nodding to the night guard, who unfortunately didn’t offer nearly as much a meal as she’d been hoping for. Yuqi scrambled after her, still breathing heavily. The guard looked at Yuqi curiously but opted not to intrude.

The evening air was colder and more oppressive than it had been earlier in the day, but the city was alive, the streets lit with the glow of streetlights and occasional passing cars. Soojin immediately regretted leaving their apartment in such a hurry. A scarf would have been nice. _Well, hopefully all the energy I’m about to burn will warm me up a bit._ Yuqi hobbled out of the door behind her, finally managing to catch her breath. “Keep up, Yuqi, this is important.” _Time for test number two._ “Tell me everybody you can taste.”

Yuqi looked a little confused by Soojin’s directness but focused on the assignment she’d been given. “Well, there’s the couple walking over there,” she nodded toward the other side of the street. “The guard in our dorm of course.” She looked around. “The man over there on the corner, but he doesn’t taste like much. Oh, and there’s a few people at the bus stop but I can’t see how many. Two women and a man I think.”

Soojin sighed. _Test number two: fail._ Taking a moment to concentrate, she expanded her senses, focusing on gathering the smaller hints of tastes that she’d normally overlook. “There are eighteen different tastes reaching us right now. You found seven. The ones you missed are the five in the restaurant on the corner including one male and two female employees and two male customers, the couple on the third floor of our building who left their window open and are about to have sex, the daughter of the convenience store owner, who’s currently working behind the counter of their store, one man inside the convenience store, and the couple kissing in the alley a block behind us.”

“ _What_? How could you possibly… are you just that much more sensitive than me?” Yuqi looked… confused.

“No, Yuqi, I’m spending my energy.”

“That’s what I meant. Your powers are just stronger than mine.” Yuqi wasn’t getting it.

“No, they’re not, I’m _making_ them stronger.” Soojin had no idea how to explain how to do what she was doing, and she didn’t even know if Yuqi _could_ do it. “You just… _focus_.”

Yuqi responded only with a helpless, confused, frustrated look.

“Nevermind. I’ll explain when we get where we’re going.” Soojin took off, though this time at a reasonable human pace, making her way down the street.

“Yeah, but _where_ are we going? I already asked you.” Yuqi was able to keep up this time, but still seemed annoyed. “Is it some kind of special place for… us?”

“It’s a bar, Yuqi.”

“We’re going to a _bar_ …? To do what?”

“To…” Soojin threw up her hands. “Just be patient, Yuqi. I can’t explain it here while we’re walking.” She wasn’t a teacher, she had no training, and she had to figure out how to fix this _mess_ before things got even more out of hand. Yuqi needed to know how to be a succubus, and she needed to know _soon_.

“Are you angry at me?”

“No, of course not,” Soojin said, frustrated. “It’s just hard to figure out how to teach this. I’ve never trained anyone before.”

“Well can you at least explain to me what you’re trying to teach me?”

“I told you, I _will_. Be patient.”

After winding their way down a number of streets and a few alleys, they reached the bar. It was a quaint place with a nice atmosphere, half a level below the street on the quiet end of a neighborhood where a lot of young professionals lived. Just as she’d hoped, Soojin could already taste three couples inside.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? We could get recognized, and there’s nobody from the company nearby…” Yuqi slowed her pace, reluctant to follow Soojin into the bar.

“The owners are older and don’t know any idols. I checked. And the people inside will be paying much more attention to their dates than us.” Soojin pushed the door open and waited for Yuqi to follow. The bell on the door announced their arrival, but none of the customers looked up. A middle-aged woman smiled from behind the bar, nodding at Soojin before she turned her attention back to her task. Soojin walked over to a table in the corner, pulled out a chair, and sat. Yuqi reluctantly joined her, glancing around the room.

“So _now_ can you tell me what we’re doing? Please?” Yuqi’s tone had an edge to it.

“I will, but first I want you to try one more thing.”

“ _Unnie…_ ”

“I can’t teach you until I know what you can do. Normally you would’ve started training years ago, so I don’t know what habits you’ve picked up on your own or whether you know how anything works. You need to be patient. I can’t just tell you everything at once.” Yuqi sighed but didn’t interject. _Time for test number three._ Soojin motioned subtly to a couple sitting on the other side of the bar, a man and a woman probably in their late twenties. “Tell me everything you can sense about their relationship.”

“I can only taste _sex_ , unnie.”

“I know that. I don’t mean just using your taste. Focus all your attention on them and tell me what you notice.”

“How is that supposed to… _okay, fine._ ” Yuqi took a minute to watch the couple interacting. “They’re comfortable with each other. They’ve probably already had sex, based on their taste and the way they interact. It was recent, maybe earlier tonight. Something about the sex was exciting or new.”

“Is that _it_? I told you to use your other senses.”

Yuqi sighed, louder this time, clearly with frustration. “I don’t know what else you want me to say. Do you want my opinion on her fashion sense?”

_Test number three: fail._

Soojin focused her senses again, this time much more narrowly than earlier on the street, allowing her mind to piece the connections together. “Her perfume is smeared on his neck and some of his face, and there’s a little bit of grime on the back of her sweater. She’s also not wearing any underwear under her skirt, judging by how easily I can taste her arousal. They had sex somewhere near here, maybe in an alley, and she was pressed up against the wall with her head near his shoulder. They’re both turned on by the thrill of almost getting caught, and they’re thinking about having a second round here in the bathroom of this bar. They’ve been glancing over in that direction, probably trying to find a way to get there without drawing too much attention to themselves.”

Yuqi’s face was a mix of surprise and confusion, growing with every additional detail Soojin revealed. She looked over again at the couple, trying to see what Soojin had noticed, but apparently she couldn’t.

“Soo, I don’t know how to see any of that. I don’t even know if I _can_ see all of that. Can’t you start by _explaining_ what I’m supposed to know how to do?”

“I’m trying to explain. These are all things you can do by _focusing_. You just need to focus your energy. Like…” Soojin gestured helplessly, frustrated. “Just try again, and focus harder this time.” _Why do I have to be the one to do this?_

Yuqi glared at her for a moment but looked over at the couple one more time. She was clearly focusing, but with her _human_ senses. She groaned in frustration. “I can’t do this. Can we just go home?”

“Look, Yuqi, I’m sorry, but I’m trying my best. Normally it’s much more experienced succubi who do this. I haven’t been trained to teach yet. I need you to work with me and be patient.” _Can’t you see that I’m trying to_ help _you?_

“Well then why can’t one of _them_ just train me?” Yuqi’s voice was sharp and bordering on noticeably loud, just barely restrained enough not to get them noticed.

Soojin's frustration was coming to a boil. _This is_ not _my job, and I did_ not _ask for this, and you just made everything in my life way more complicated._ And suddenly all of her fear and confusion and frustration and loneliness chose _this moment_ to erupt, and Soojin did maybe the stupidest thing she’d ever done. She said the _truth_ and she said it _loudly_.

“Because they won’t let you be with _Yeonjae_!”

And suddenly all the conversations in the bar stopped and everybody was looking at them. At least one of them had probably just realized that _Seo Soojin_ was in the bar with them yelling at _Song Yuqi_ , and all of them had definitely just heard her say _Yeonjae_.

Yuqi was looking at her with pure, unfiltered shock on her face, her body completely frozen. And as Soojin looked at Yuqi, realizing with horror what she'd just done, she noticed deep, inky black clouds growing in Yuqi's eyes. The air around Yuqi was starting to _hum_ with energy.

_Fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Normally I have a much easier time writing dialogue and actions than description, and this chapter needed to be almost entirely about showing how Soojin sees the world, so this was HARD to write. Hopefully it turned out okay. 
> 
> We have like two thirds of the pieces of the reason for why Soojin is sad now. You guys had some interesting guesses after the last chapter, and I'd love to hear if your guesses have changed.


	10. Uh-oh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a quick addition because I was kind of already in the middle of writing it when I posted the last chapter. Also I think I maybe traumatized some people with that cliffhanger. 
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Soojin watched in growing terror as Yuqi’s eyes turned fully black, her gaze unmoving and unresponsive. She could feel _waves_ of stored up energy radiating from the half-succubus. People in the bar were starting to turn to look at each other, trying to make sense of what was apparently a very public and very… _newsworthy_ fight between two young celebrities, but they were clearly unaware of the far more pressing issue.

And then in an instant it was like a bomb had gone off in the bar. Soojin shrieked, senses overwhelmed by the wave of energy that exploded outward from Yuqi. It was invisible to the rest of the patrons but _oh-so-visible_ to her. She swayed in her chair, nearly knocked over by the impact, a rush of nausea making her stomach churn.

She forced herself to focus, straightening up and doing her best to assess her surroundings despite her limited senses. The bar itself was, of course, undamaged. No physical blast had occurred. But the humans in the bar had clearly all been affected. Their gazes were numb, confused, and sluggish. None of them spoke. Soojin was pretty sure that none of them had the mental _capacity_ to speak right now.

And then Soojin looked over at Yuqi, and suddenly everything she thought was _bad_ was _worse_. Yuqi was slumped over in her chair, unmoving. Her gaze was blank.

_Oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck…_

Yuqi’s energy reserves had gone from completely full to completely empty in an instant, emptying everything in a huge _charm_ explosion. When Soojin had tried to charm Yuqi a couple of nights earlier, the effort required to charm just her _alone_ had left Soojin’s energy reserves significantly depleted. Yuqi had just attempted to charm an entire room in what was probably her first time ever using the power.

 _She needs energy. Now._ _I need to get her out of here._ Soojin suddenly regretted using her own reserves so frivolously on her stupid _tests_. _What the hell was I thinking?_ Both Soojin and Yuqi needed to be far away from this bar as soon as possible. Soojin slid out of her chair, gathering some of her remaining energy, and picked Yuqi up. The humans’ gazes followed Yuqi as Soojin lifted her, their silence eerie. “She… drank too much. She needs to go home.” Soojin was desperately hoping that her words would pierce the fog in these humans’ brains, giving them some explanation for the events to grasp onto when the effects of the blast wore off. _If_ _the effects wear off,_ Soojin found herself thinking. She’d never seen anything like this before, and she certainly had never been taught to do anything like this herself, so she had no idea how these humans would be affected. It was extraordinarily reckless to even try something like this, but Soojin knew that Yuqi hadn’t done it intentionally .

As much as Soojin just wanted to _get out of there_ , she felt a tiny pang of guilt for the. _Humans are people too._ Thinking quickly, she pulled a phone out of a man’s pocket and dialed the police. “There’s a medical emergency here,” she said, quickly stating the bar’s address, ignoring the dispatcher’s questions and carrying Yuqi out the door with the phone left on a table and the call still running. _Hopefully that will be enough._

It was the next question that Soojin was really dreading. _Where do I take Yuqi to get her energy?_ The obvious quick fixes were off the table – carrying a catatonic girl into a brothel or a love motel would _not_ end well. There was _some_ chance that Soojin could muster up enough energy to carry Yuqi all the way back to their dorm, but even then she’d have to handle the guard and her groupmates. The guard would undoubtedly want to either call emergency medical services or their company (or both), and she couldn’t spare the energy to try to charm _him_ into ignoring them. Even if they _could_ get by the guard, and even if Shuhua and Miyeon happened to be... _generating_... sex energy right at the moment they walked back in, there was a strong chance that they’d encounter one of their other groupmates first. She knew there’s no way she could talk all of her groupmates out of taking Yuqi to the hospital, and a trip to the hospital was _not_ what Yuqi needed right now. They couldn’t cure this there.

Soojin needed a place that she could get to quickly where they wouldn’t draw too much attention and where Yuqi could safely be surrounded by enough desire _._ _Where the hell can I find a place like… Oh._ The irony of the situation was palpable. _If there’s a god up there somewhere, he has a really fucked up sense of humor._

Soojin reached into Yuqi’s pocket, pulled out her phone, and called Yeonjae.

* * *

“ _What the hell, Soojin? Why didn’t you call an ambulance?_ ”

Yeonjae was there in ten minutes. Soojin had barely said the words “Yuqi needs help” before Yeonjae was out the door. She pulled up, a few blocks away from the bar, right in front of where Soojin was standing with Yuqi slung over her back. Without asking permission, Soojin opened the back door of the car and placed Yuqi as carefully as she could manage in the back seat. Then she walked to the driver’s side front door and opened it. “Get out, I’m driving.”

Yeonjae looked at Soojin like she’d grown a second head. “Are you insane? You’re _wasting time_. Get in back and find me the route to the closest hospital.” The look Yeonjae was giving Soojin was half incredulous and half furious.

“We're not going to the hospital.”

Yeonjae stared at the younger woman, stunned. Soojin had barely spoken to a word to her since they’d met, and now she was standing outside her car telling her not to take her catatonic girlfriend to the hospital.

“What the fuck do you mean, we're not? Get in the fucking car, Soojin, or I’m leaving without you.”

Soojin wished with all her heart that she could actually _charm_ someone into _just doing what she told them to do_ , just this one time, but she didn’t have that option. She needed to be persuasive, to leave zero doubt in Yeonjae’s mind that she needed to listen to her. “Yeonjae-ssi, the _most important thing in the world_ right now is for you to listen to me and do _exactly_ what I say. Yuqi _cannot_ go to the hospital. The doctors there _cannot_ fix this.”

“Oh.” Yeonjae narrowed her eyes for a moment, thinking. “Then where do I need to go?”

 _Wait what? How was that so easy?_ Soojin had no idea what had just happened but decided not to question the gift that the world had apparently decided to give her. “She needs to go somewhere safe, where it can be just the three of us and nobody will find us. Do you have a place like that?”

“My apartment?”

“Is there a door guard? We can’t get caught.”

“Ah. My _other_ apartment then.”

 _Yeonjae has a secret apartment? That’s an interesting development._ “Okay. You need to be in back with her. I can drive.” Yeonjae looked uncertain, but got out and switched to the back seat, allowing Soojin access to the front seat. “She needs you to give her… attention. And care. You need to focus on how much you… want to be with her.” _How am I supposed to explain to Yeonjae that her catatonic girlfriend needs to feed off of her?_

“You mean she needs to feed?”

 _What the fuck?_ And suddenly the night had a _second_ terrifying issue. _Yuqi… please tell me you didn’t tell a_ human _about us…_ But that was a problem for later. “Yes. She’s drained and she needs to feed as soon as possible.”

Soojin stared down at the steering wheel and the pedals. She’d seen people do this a million times. How hard could it be? She technically didn’t have a _license_ , but she’d skimmed the driver’s ed manual a couple of times. _There’s a thing you do with the stick…_ she jiggled the shifter experimentally, but it didn’t budge. _Maybe if I…_ She stepped on one of the pedals and the engine roared to life, but the car didn’t move. Yeonjae looked at her, a concerned look on her face. _NOPE. Not that one._ She pressed the other one. No response, but the shifter seemed like it could move now. She shifted it into what she hoped was _drive_ , and the car started to move. _Wait, why is it moving on its own? I’m not pressing the pedal!_ The steering wheel worked, at least. The car was creeping forward now, and she was able to steer it away from the curb. She tried the other pedal again, and the car lurched forward, picking up speed. _So that one is go, and the other one must be stop. And shift. Or something._

“Have you actually _driven a car_ before?” Yeonjae was looking at her with an almost comical mix of incredulity and terror.

“Of course I have. Mine’s just a little different.”

“Different like a _scooter_?”

“Just shut up and give me directions. We’re gonna go fast, and you need to keep up.”

 _This is just a different form of physical control, right? I’ll just… react really fast._ Soojin was desperately hoping that her boosted reaction speed would somehow make all of this work. “I need to test your car for a second. Hold Yuqi tight.” Soojin sped up for a moment and then hit the brake sharply, measuring the speed at which she could accelerate and the strength of the brakes. “Okay, I think we’re good. Where do I go?”

“Go…” The last vestiges of Yeonjae’s sense of self-preservation were holding on for dear life. “Go left at the light,” she said, her tone resigned.

And then they were off. Soojin floored the accelerator, her enhanced senses at peak form, every object in her vision outlined sharply and her reaction time exceedingly quick. And somehow, the entire process seemed to work. Yeonjae screamed directions at Soojin while Soojin screamed around corners, and the car’s tires screeched as they left black skid marks all over the streets of Seoul. Cars honked at them and drivers yelled, but fortunately Soojin avoided hitting anything large or important. In between Yeonjae’s screams, a thought occurred to Soojin. “I think you’re gonna get some notices about traffic violations. Sorry about that.” But for better or for worse, Yeonjae didn’t seem to care about that right now.

Six and a half minutes later, in what had to be record time for driving this far across the city, they pulled up in front of Yeonjae’s studio. “This is where you were taking us?” _The studio doesn’t seem like a very private location…_

“There’s an apartment upstairs that I haven’t really told anyone about. Yuqi’s been there before.” Yeonjae opened the door and struggled to drag Yuqi out. Yuqi seemed to still be breathing, but only _barely_.

“Let me.” Soojin stepped in and picked Yuqi up. “Open the doors.” Yeonjae’s eyes widened for a moment, seeing Soojin pick Yuqi up with such ease. Apparently, it hadn’t occurred to her how strange the sight was when she’d first pulled up in front of them a few minutes earlier. But she quickly focused, moving to unlock and open the front door of the studio, waiting for Soojin to pass, and then locking it again behind them. Once they reached the stairs at the back of the studio, she repeated the same process with the door to her apartment, locking that behind them too. “Where’s your bed?” Yeonjae motioned to the back of the apartment. _So this is where Yuqi took her_ shy shower _with Yeonjae._ Soojin could still taste traces of frozen yogurt and berries from earlier that day coming from the shower in Yeonjae’s bathroom. _And apparently this is where they’ve been spending their_ practice _time._ Soojin made it to the back of the apartment and laid Yuqi down on the bed as gently as she could. And then she collapsed on the floor, her energy reserves burned almost as much as Yuqi’s.

“Are you… do you need help? _Oh_ … you need to feed too.”

Soojin was too drained to even process the implications of what Yeonjae had just said. “Just… kiss… her…”

“Soojin, she’s… unconscious. I can’t kiss an unconscious woman.”

“She’s… dying. It could… save her. She… won’t mind. Just… kiss.” And those were all the words that Soojin could manage. She closed her eyes and stayed still, waiting for whatever would come.

And a moment later, Soojin tasted a sweet, gentle, tentative kiss coming from the bed. It was faint, with only a fraction of the energy reaching Soojin, but it was enough to keep her from being completely drained. She heard Yeonjae’s soft voice speaking to Yuqi, trying to rouse her, telling her how important she was to her. The words were muffled, not meant for Soojin’s ears, but they were _sincere. ‘Song Yuqi is one hell of a lucky half-succubus’_ was the last thought that went through Soojin’s head before she passed out.

* * *

She woke up with an amped-up succubus version of a hangover, which felt three times as bad as any she’d ever had before. She clutched her head and moaned. _Fuuuuuuck_. She rolled over, starting to curl up into a ball, but she bumped into another body. She reached out with her hand and poked it. It groaned. _Yuqi? Yuqi!_ Soojin’s eyes flew open. She ignored the searing lasers of pain currently boring through her skull and sat up quickly, which turned out to be a terrible idea as the sudden shift in blood flow caused her to almost pass out again. Pausing a moment and massaging her temples, she gingerly opened an eye. She was on the bed next to Yuqi, and Yuqi was _alive_. “ _Yuqi…”_ Soojin managed a whisper-groan.

“Mmmmmhhh,” came the response.

“Don’t talk. Either of you.” A voice came from the other side of Yuqi. _Yeonjae_.

Soojin felt the bed shift. Yeonjae was standing up. “I’m going to get some water for both of you now that you’re both awake. I don’t know much about your biology, Soojin, but I’m pretty sure you need water to survive too.”

 _Fuuuuuuuck._ Now that both she and Yuqi were both definitely _alive_ , she was going to have to figure out what to do about Yeonjae suddenly knowing _everything_. But a moment later, she felt gentle hands lifting her and propping her up on a pillow, and then she felt a glass being pressed to her lips. _Water_. She swallowed slowly, eventually lifting up a hand to hold the glass herself. She slowly tried opening her eyes again, and this time her body didn’t protest quite as much. Yuqi was propped up next to her in the same position, looking better than Soojin had imagined she would. Yeonjae was sitting next to her on the bed, watching closely as Yuqi slowly sipped from a glass that Yeonjae had probably given her. Soojin’s senses were dull, her energy barely hovering above _empty_. The world was blurry, devoid of the delicious colors, tastes, and smells that Soojin had grown accustomed to being exceptionally sensitive to. She very much _did not_ like this feeling.

“Can you walk?” Yeonjae was addressing Soojin now. _Is she kicking me out? That’s… I guess it’s her choice whether she lets me stay, but…_ Soojin nodded hesitantly, and Yeonjae continued. “I know you need energy, and I know how you get it, but there’s no way I’m gonna let you stay in here. You’ll still be able to eat if you’re in the other room, right?” _Oh._ Soojin nodded again. “Okay. You can go and lie down on the couch in the living room. Can you get there yourself or do you need me to help you?”

This arrangement was… _unusual_. Humans didn’t usually _offer_ to feed succubi, but Soojin was too tired to argue. She slowly slid her feet off the edge of the bed, standing up and making her way toward the living room. She crashed silently on the couch, closing her eyes and preparing to eat.

Whatever it was that Yuqi and Yeonjae were doing behind the now-closed door to the bedroom was slow and gentle and far from physically... _involved_... but it was certainly intimate. Soojin let the energy surround her, gently absorbing its cool, fruity, citrus taste, and the world gradually gained a little more of its beauty. It wasn’t quite the same as the energy she could’ve gotten from Miyeon and Shuhua, but she supposed that made sense. Yuqi and Yeonjae put together were technically only one-and-a-half humans, and they were early in their relationship, but the energy they made together was still very nice. Soojin gradually felt the aches and pains from her pseudo-hangover beginning to subside, replaced with strong but painless exhaustion. After a while, the tastes eventually stopped, but neither Yuqi nor Yeonjae appeared in the living room. _I guess I’ll have to wait._ Soojin’s head was still foggy, but…

 _Oh. Shit. The bar._ Soojin looked around quickly and, finding Yuqi’s phone sitting on the kitchen table, quickly opened up the news app and started with the entertainment section. She didn’t find herself or Yuqi in any headlines, thankfully. A different headline caught her eye though:

**_Local bar closed after medical emergency_ **

_Seven people were rushed to the hospital from a local bar late last night when they were discovered in a semi-catatonic state after an anonymous phone call led police to the scene. After spending the night in intensive care, their status has improved, and all are expected to recover. However, all seven are experiencing different degrees of memory loss and have shown significant psychological distress. Health officials are investigating the scene to determine what may have caused the incident, and the police are continuing to investigate the source of the mysterious anonymous phone call._

It seemed like she and Yuqi were out of immediate danger, at least from the bar’s patrons, but… _fuck, Yuqi. We’re gonna have to make sure you_ _NEVER do that again._

The door to Yeonjae’s bedroom finally opened, and Yuqi walked out slowly, followed shortly later by Yeonjae. Yuqi looked thoroughly embarrassed by the whole situation but seemed much less drained than before. Yeonjae looked like... _Yeonjae. Strong, determined, and protective._ Soojin turned to Yeonjae. “Um… thanks for…”

“You’re welcome. Let’s not make a habit of it.” Soojin was happy to agree to that. _So many things about this situation are_ _really fucking weird_.

Soojin stood up gingerly, but her legs were holding steady. “We should go, but thanks for…”

“Not a chance in hell. Sit your _succubus_ _ass_ down.” Yeonjae gave Soojin a steely-eyed look. For a moment, Soojin considered whether she’d have a chance to win a fight with the gymnast, but Yeonjae’s impressive physique and grim determination made that prospect seem unlikely. At least for now. Besides, Yuqi was looking at Soojin with more or less the same expression as Yeonjae. So Soojin sat, and Yeonjae continued. “Yuqi’s told me pretty much everything she knows.” She intercepted Soojin’s glare toward Yuqi. “And no, you don’t get to complain about that. You lost the right to keep those secrets when you almost got my girlfriend killed.” _Don’t I get a little bit of credit for saving her life?_ Yeonjae continued as if reading her thoughts. “And you don’t get any credit for helping save her when you caused the problem in the first place.”

“Fine. What do you want then?” Soojin's expression was far from friendly but not _overtly_ hostile.

This time it was Yuqi who spoke. She was holding Yeonjae’s hand. The two of them were clearly going to be a team this morning. “Tell me what happened to me and why. Start with the part when I blacked out.”

Whatever danger Yeonjae posed to her and to other succubi, it wouldn’t be significantly greater if she heard the answers to these questions. Most of the big cats were already out of their bags. So, with a sigh, Soojin explained. “You remember when I tried to _charm_ you?” Yuqi nodded. “That took a lot of energy for me to do. I was worn out for more than a day after that, and I had to work to build my energy back up.”

“Okay, and how does that relate to me?”

“You tried to charm a whole room full of people all at once. And it worked. Actually, it kind of… worked _too_ much.” Soojin handed Yuqi’s phone back to her, indicating the article.

“Wait. _I_ did that?”

Soojin nodded. “You basically turned them into... zombies. I was honestly afraid they weren’t gonna recover, so I made that phone call.” Yuqi passed the phone to Yeonjae for her to read too, and Soojin continued. “Doing something like that is incredibly dangerous. I’ve never heard of any succubus who has done it before. Honestly, if you’d told me about it before I actually saw it, I would’ve said that it would be suicide to even try. And it almost was.”

“So why did it happen? I _definitely_ wasn’t trying to do that.”

Soojin sighed, trying to figure out what to say to Yuqi. If Yuqi had lost the memories of their conversation, then maybe she could get away with making something up about…

“ _Oh_.” A look of understanding suddenly appeared on Yuqi’s face. “It was because of what you said to me.” And at this comment, Yeonjae moved closer to Yuqi and _glared_ at Soojin. “Yes, I remember what you said.”

 _Well shit. There goes that plan._ _I guess we’ll go with… the truth? Mostly?_

Reluctantly, Soojin nodded. “You felt your… _self_ … get threatened in a huge way, and your instincts reacted. If you knew how to use your powers the right way, then maybe you could’ve…” _No point in wondering about that now._ “It’s like…” She glanced at Yeonjae but sighed, resigned. “Succubus powers aren’t there for fun. They’re not superpowers, they’re not magic, and they’re not unlimited. They’re there for our _survival_. They let us find and tend to our food sources and they help us escape if we ever end up in a situation where we could get caught. What you did last night was a survival instinct kicking in… really hard.”

“What do you mean by _tend_?” Yeonjae interjected, a sharp look on her face.

As much as there were _so many things_ wrong with a human even _asking_ this question, Soojin saw a chance to encourage Yeonjae not to do anything... harmful. “We’re not dangerous to humans at all. We’re not a threat. We’re the opposite. We evolved to help and support humans. We’re symbiotic. Sort of.”

“Okay, that’s nice, but you didn’t answer my question.” Yeonjae looked impatient.

“I was getting there. I say _tending_ cause sometimes we see ourselves sort of as gardeners. We help humans find good matches, we help them have better relationships, and we help them have good, healthy sex. And when we do that, we get to eat.” She shrugged a tiny bit, hoping the point had been conveyed. “We help humans, and then they… _you_ help us.”

Yeonjae was still mulling this over when Yuqi spoke up. “ _Oh._ That’s like what Yeonjae and I did for Miyeon and Shuhua.”

 _You did that?_ Soojin’s confusion was apparently visible, so Yuqi elaborated. “We made their sex better.”

That was unexpected. “How? What did you do?”

“I just helped Miyeon figure out her stuff a little bit. And Yeonjae helped her get some more confidence I think. I kind of just thought I was doing a nice thing? Not… being symbiotic.”

“Well, maybe you were. Maybe it wasn’t instinct. But either way, you did a good job.” As messed up as this situation was, Yuqi deserved a compliment for that one. Her success had been _delicious._ “I've been trying to do the same thing for a while, but it wasn’t working. I thought the problem was that Shuhua was being... _too much_ , so I was trying to give her extra attention so Miyeon could relax.”

“Hmmm. Maybe we all helped a little.” Yuqi wasn’t naturally one to go out of her way to share credit for her successes, but maybe Yeonjae was starting to wear off on her a little bit.

“Maybe.”

“ _So_.” Yeonjae was driving the conversation again. “Why won’t they let us be together?”

This was the question that Soojin had been dreading most. She knew she had to come up with an answer. Even if she refused to answer while Yeonjae was there, Yuqi would just tell her girlfriend later. “It’s not because we think we’re better or because we think it’s wrong somehow for humans and succubi to…” she looked back and forth between Yuqi and Yeonjae, “ _care_ about each other. It’s just that… there's not many of us right now, and being with humans is dangerous, and we’re worried about… going extinct.”

“Oh.” Of all the possible answers, this was _not_ one that Yuqi seemed to be expecting.

Yeonjae seemed to be thinking. “How many?” she asked. “How many of you are there?”

“I’m sorry Yeonjae-ssi, but I can’t tell you that. It’s… too dangerous.” To her credit, Yeonjae seemed to accept this answer. For now, at least.

“Can you at least tell me how many of _us_ there are here in Seoul?” Yuqi seemed to be having trouble figuring out what part of this to focus on – who _she_ was, or what it meant for her relationship – but this question was focused on the first of these.

 _She wants to know if she’ll get to meet anybody else like her other than me._ “There are… very few.”

“Have I… met any of them before?”

Soojin empathized with Yuqi. She really did. But she couldn’t reveal anybody else. “I’m sorry Yuqi. I… can’t.”

“Is there at least a… group chat? Or like a Discord or a Facebook group something?”

Soojin snorted. “Is that really the thing that you’re thinking about right now? A Discord server?”

“Don’t be an ass, Soojin. She just wants to know she’s not alone.”

 _Huh. Yeonjae is… something._ “Okay, sorry, I get it. No, there’s not anything like that. That would mean somebody could find all of us at once. We don’t have private conventions or secret hideouts or anything. It’s really risky for more than a few of us to gather.” Soojin paused, going back over her words in her head. _That’s all_ technically _true._

Soojin could almost see the gears turning in Yuqi’s brain, trying to digest all of the new information she’d just been given about her world. “So… are mixed… babies… bad? Because they’re not… saving the species.”

 _Oh wow._ “No, Yuqi, not at all. You’re a real succubus. You’re one of _us_.” She paused, mulling over her response. “And honestly, it’s so rare that it even _can_ happen that… it’s not like… it’s fine. We’re just happy to have one more of us, even if they’re a half-blood.”

“Ummm… can you maybe not use that word?”

“You mean half-blood?” Soojin was confused. _Isn’t that what she is?_

“Yeah. It’s just… kind of weird. And it feels a little offensive.”

“Oh. What… what should I call you then?” It had never occurred to her that the term might be offensive, but then again, she’d never really used it much before. It just never came up.

“I’m uh… not sure. Just ‘half-succubus’ for now I guess.” Soojin could tell that something else was occupying Yuqi’s mind. “You’re happy just to have more… babies then?”

“Of course. A succubus baby is always a reason for celebrating.”

“But what if… what if a couple really loves each other but can’t… make a baby? Are couples always a… male and a female?”

 _Oh fuck. Right. Yuqi is gay._ There were apparently a lot of things that Yuqi might be thinking about that Soojin hadn’t even considered. “ _Yuqi_ …” Soojin’s heart was starting to hurt for the girl. “ _We_ know better than anyone how important and real other kinds of love and desire are. We probably understand that better than humans.” She paused, considering how to broach the awkward subject. “There are… lots of ways for couples to have a baby. We have science now, and technology.” A thought occurred to Soojin. _Best to cover all the bases_. “And… it’s rare, but if a couple decides they really don’t want to have any children, we can… accept… that too. There are other ways to help.”

“Oh.”

Soojin was starting to regret how she’d treated Yuqi. In the space of a couple of minutes, Yuqi had been forced to consider whether her species might not want her, whether they really only wanted babies from her, and whether they might try to force her to be with a man. “I’m… really sorry Yuqi. For how I’ve treated you. I was only thinking about what _you_ meant for _us_ , not what we meant for you. It’s just… that’s how I was raised to think, that the most important thing is whatever’s best for _us_.”

Yeonjae had moved closer to Yuqi, standing next to her but with her arms wrapped around her protectively. “It makes sense that you’d think that way, but… we can all start over now and just think about the three of us for a little while.” Yuqi nodded slowly at this, agreeing.

It didn’t escape Soojin’s notice that Yeonjae had included herself in all of this without giving Soojin the chance to object. Soojin knew that it was far from a certain thing that Yeonjae would be… _allowed_ … to continue being a part of this if the elders found out. They weren’t _murderers_. They wouldn’t try to make Yeonjae... _disappear_ or anything. They might just encourage her _strongly_ to… find something else to focus her attention on. But for the moment, Soojin had no choice but to agree. _It could be worse. Yuqi could have fallen for someone much less mature and... open._ Some part of Soojin was at least a little bit impressed by Yeonjae. “Okay. We can start over.”

“Good. But not this morning, Yuqi and I are going to spend some time together alone.” For a moment, Soojin’s hunger flared, but she quickly realized that this was not the sex kind of _alone_. It was the comfort kind. “I’ll call you a car to take you back to your dorm.”

“Thank you, but… I need to go find something to eat.” Soojin’s senses were still dulled from the previous night’s rapid energy expenditures. She needed to forage a bit and check some of her usual sources. And to be honest, she wasn’t looking forward to explaining to her groupmates why she and Yuqi had suddenly disappeared overnight. “Yuqi, can you text Soyeon and tell her everything is okay? I left my phone back at the dorm.”

Yuqi nodded but looked a bit worried. “Can you get back home then?”

Despite the serious atmosphere, Soojin found herself with a slight smile. “I can get myself across the city without a phone. I have a little money, I’ll be fine.”

She walked over to offer Yuqi a hug, eyeing Yeonjae warily, and the younger succubus reluctantly accepted it. “I’ll try to be a better… teacher from now on. I’m really sorry.”

“Unnie… you know I love you. It’s okay. We’ll figure it out together.” Yuqi squeezed Soojin a little tighter, and Yeonjae narrowed her eyes but didn’t comment.

Soojin broke the hug a moment later, stepping back and moving toward the door. “I’ll see you later. Both of you.” Yeonjae was still solidly in _protective unnie_ mode, but she nodded at Soojin in acknowledgement.

Soojin exited the studio and looked around to get her bearings. More than ready to bring the colors and smells and tastes back into her world, she headed toward a cute café that she visited occasionally, eagerly anticipating the tastes of young romantic desire. She had lots of stressful things to figure out, but now she was… _maybe_ … just a tiny bit less alone.

_But first, time for breakfast._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Action-star Seo Soojin saves the day. Sort of.
> 
> The next chapter will take a little while. Real life calls. It'll be more fluffy though, I promise.
> 
> Also... reading your comments is one of the highlights of my day. It makes me so happy that people are enjoying this enough to share their reactions. <3<3<3


	11. Every time every sign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuqi studied her girlfriend, taking in all of her glory. But then she found herself looking closer, and then even _closer_. And then suddenly Yuqi could hear Yeonjae’s heartbeat. She moved her hand to trace it across Yeonjae’s chest, and she could hear Yeonjae’s heart speed up a little bit, her pupils dilating. Yuqi could see the faint traces from where she’d bitten Yeonjae’s neck gently a few minutes earlier, traces she’d never have noticed before. _Oh. That’s new._ And then suddenly things looked normal again. “I think I just did a… succubus thing.” _But why now?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of fluff-smut and MiShu silliness for Valentine's Day.

Yeonjae had loaned Yuqi pajamas again and the two of them were curled up in her bed in her apartment. They had returned to the bedroom right after Soojin had left. It felt odd to put pajamas on in the middle of the morning, but Yuqi was more than okay with swapping to more comfortable clothes to get some extra _medicine_ from Yeonjae. She figured she deserved a bit of laziness in bed. She had, after all, nearly died just over twelve hours earlier.

At the moment, she was putting off thinking any particularly serious succubus-thoughts, happy just to be little spoon for Yeonjae and get soft neck kisses. The older woman’s hands were exploring a bit, mostly over Yuqi’s clothes but occasionally “slipping” to graze her stomach or her hips. Their first session earlier that morning – the one with Soojin co-feeding from the other room – had been gentle. Soft, tender kisses for the exhausted Yuqi to slowly refill her energy. The whole almost-dying thing hadn’t been very much fun, but the image of Yeonjae’s soft, relieved smile (accompanied by many happy tears) when Yuqi had finally opened her eyes was one that she’d never forget.

“You were ugly-crying when I woke up last night.” Yeonjae’s ugly-crying had been _beautiful_ , but it was still definitely ugly-crying.

Yeonjae huffed indignantly. “Was not.” She poked Yuqi in her side. “And anyway, you liked it.”

“Hmmm.” Yuqi hummed her agreement. “You can ugly-cry for me any time, unnie.”

“Yuqi… about what Soojin said… I don’t totally understand everything, but can you please never do… whatever you did… again? I know it wasn’t a choice, but…” Yeonjae was squeezing her a little tighter as she spoke.

“I’ll try my best. I know you were scared, and I hate that.” Yuqi rolled over to face Yeonjae, putting on a cute face. “But… the idea of my girlfriend racing across Seoul like a crazy person to save my life is kind of awesome.” Yeonjae rolled her eyes, but a corner of her mouth twitched upward in a hint of a smile. Yuqi put her hands on Yeonjae’s hips, feeling her smooth bare skin and enjoying the soft, rising breath that came from Yeonjae at the touch. “Is there anything I can do to… _thank_ my amazing girlfriend?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Yeonjae mock-glared at Yuqi in response. “You think I want to fool around with you only _hours_ after I almost watched you die?” But then a thought seemed to hit her. “ _Actually_ …” And a mischievous smile crept across her face. “For my thank-you present… I want you to take your lenses out.”

“Like… right _now_?”

“Yup.”

“Ummm… okay, if you really want…” Yuqi turned away a little shyly, and then slowly got up out of the bed and headed for the bathroom.

A minute later when she returned, she noticed something… _different_. Yeonjae was still tucked neatly under the blankets, but the shirt she had been wearing was… not. It was on the floor. Yuqi’s eyes _flared_ red, and she immediately blushed in embarrassment when she realized that Yeonjae had seen.

Yeonjae giggle-cackled in glee, watching Yuqi’s reaction. “Exactly what I was hoping for.” She reached an arm out from under the covers, revealing a bare shoulder, and patted the blankets next to her. “I get to watch my girlfriend fantasize about me in real time in gorgeous, _glowing_ detail.” Yuqi dolphin-squealed from embarrassment, momentarily covering her eyes, but she overcame her shyness quickly and flopped on the bed next to Yeonjae. She leaned in for a kiss, but Yeonjae stopped her. “This is my present for saving you, so you have to follow my rules. You get to look, but not touch. For now, at least.”

“ _Unnie!_ You can’t just…” Yuqi wiggled in frustration.

“Can’t what? Do this?” Yeonjae sat up with the blanket still wrapped around her but slowly lowered it, revealing her bare shoulders first and then slowly more and more of her chest until… she stopped. And grinned. _Son Yeonjae you are EVIL._ Yuqi knew her eyes were getting brighter and brighter the further down the blanket went, and she _desperately_ wanted to pull the blanket just _a little bit_ further down. Yeonjae turned away from Yuqi, her bare back facing her, and dropped the blanket. She turned back around slowly, covering her chest only with her arms. She grinned devilishly. “I _like_ this game.” Yeonjae was basking in Yuqi’s gaze, savoring every flicker and rise in the fiery red signals of the succubus’s desire. She watched Yuqi’s eyes as they focused in on her chest. Yuqi was trying _desperately_ to will Yeonjae’s arms away with her gaze to reveal what they were covering. “Do you want to see?” Yuqi nodded vigorously, and Yeonjae lowered her arms.

Yuqi’s eyes burned a fiery red-orange, and she let out a deep sigh. “Unnie _, please_ can I…” She reached her arm toward Yeonjae tentatively, but Yeonjae intercepted it and placed it firmly back on the bed next to Yuqi.

“I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to let you touch.” Yuqi groaned in protest. _She’s going to kill me. I’m going to die for real this time. Ohmygod._ “Hmmm. How about…” Yeonjae slowly ran her fingers over her chest, just grazing her skin, but it was more than enough to lock Yuqi’s gaze on her hand. “Maybe I won’t let _you_ touch me, but… I’ll let myself. What do you think?” Yuqi didn’t speak. She just watched as Yeonjae’s hand trailed up and around and down and down and down and…

Yeonjae was playing with the waistband of her pajama pants, sliding a finger just underneath and watching Yuqi’s reaction curiously. Yuqi tried to say something, _anything_ , but all that came out was a choked “ _eep!”_ And suddenly Yeonjae was sliding her pajama pants down. She hadn’t prepared anything particularly special for this impromptu _show_ , so she was left wearing just a plain gray pair of cotton panties, but Yuqi couldn’t take her eyes off of them. And then Yeonjae’s hand was sliding lower again, _underneath_ the thin fabric. _Ohmigod. She’s actually touching herself. Like, right here._ Yuqi was sure that her eyes were bright enough now to actually light something on fire.

“Oh my god, Yeonjae…” Yuqi gasped.

Yeonjae stopped, suddenly concerned. “Too much? I just thought…”

“Not too much. Exactly the right amount of much.”

And Yeonjae _resumed_ , slowly, eyes fixed on Yuqi, watching the succubus’s every reaction. Yeonjae’s breath was getting heavier now. Yuqi could see Yeonjae’s finger moving underneath her panties, _up_ and _down_ and sometimes in slow, small circles. There was a wet spot growing, soaking through, and for some reason it drove Yuqi absolutely _insane_ to know that the wet spot was for _her_. And then, with a sad noise, Yeonjae reluctantly pulled her hand up and out of her panties.

“Why did you…?”

“Mmmmh.” Yeonjae groaned in frustration. “Believe me, I want to keep going, but… I kind of wanted to save my first… orgasm with you for when you give it to me.”

 _Huh. That’s… weirdly romantic._ “Oh. Well then…” Yuqi paused for a long, heavy moment, nervous about what she was about to say. “Can I give it to you _now_?”

“Oh, Yuqi, I didn’t mean to… do you really want to? I thought you wanted me to… do it for _you_ first.”

“I was a little worried I'd be bad at it, but…” Yuqi couldn’t help but notice the wetness on Yeonjae’s fingertips. “I think you’ve already helped warm things up so it shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Well…” Yeonjae’s look was halfway between turned-on and sheepish. “…if you want to, then okay. But can we kiss for a little while first?” Yeonjae seemed almost _shy_ now, despite the absolutely _brazen_ display she’d just put on. _She’s adorable_. Yuqi leaned in to kiss Yeonjae softly, and then guided Yeonjae’s shirt up over her head. Yuqi pulled Yeonjae in closer, the bare skin of their chests pressing together, and kissed her deeply. “I…” Yeonjae spoke in between kisses. “I wanted to… plan something special… for you… the first time.” The warmth of Yeonjae’s breath tingled against Yuqi’s lips. The older woman almost looked apologetic.

“I like it this way, unnie. There’s no pressure, it’s just us.”

“Oh… Okay. I like that. Just _us_.”

Yuqi kissed her again, softly and a little bit shyly, then slowly moved down to Yeonjae’s neck and began to press in warm, wet kisses, moving from under Yeonjae’s jaw slowly down to her collarbone. Every sigh from the older woman drove Yuqi further, her whole being reacting to the way Yeonjae’s body moved and _tasted_ under her touch. Yeonjae’s taste grew stronger and more _urgent_ the lower Yuqi’s mouth roamed, enveloping Yuqi in its rich, velvety warmth as her mouth reached Yeonjae’s breast and she traced a lip gently across her nipple. “Mmmm… Yuqi…” Yeonjae moaned as Yuqi teased at the nipple with her tongue, sucking on it slowly.

“Can I…?” Yuqi asked, fingers tentatively tugging on Yeonjae’s panties.

“Will you… too?”

Yuqi nodded, and Yeonjae nodded back. “Okay.” And Yuqi, taking a deep breath, slowly slid Yeonjae’s panties down, and then Yeonjae was naked in front of her, her full, toned body on display. _Amazing._ She took a moment just to enjoy the sight, her eyes following every curve and pulsing slowly. _She’s mine, and only mine. I got the hottest girlfriend ever._ Yeonaje was a tiny bit shy, but she seemed to be drawing confidence from the clear signals in Yuqi’s eyes. She didn’t try to cover herself, and after a moment she even opened up her posture to allow Yuqi a better view. “I… guess you like it?” She asked with a sheepish smile.

Yuqi pulled her back in for a deeper, _harder_ kiss. “So much.” She let hands run free all up and down Yeonjae’s back, dipping to feel the soft curves of her adorable butt. “I’m gonna have a lot of fun with you.” Yeonjae slipped a finger under the waistband of Yuqi’s pajama pants, reminding her about what they’d agreed, and Yuqi nodded. “Okay.” And a moment later, her pajama pants and a pair of medium-sexy panties lay discarded in a happy pile on the floor. “ _Hey you_ ,” Yuqi said, a mischievous smile on her face. “Guess what?”

“Ummm… what?” Yeonjae looked confused.

“We’re _naked_.” Yuqi wiggled her butt a bit, giving a goofy smile.

Yeonjae snorted. “Come here.” Yeonjae pulled her in, their bodies close, and wrapped her arms tightly around her. “Are you… sure?” She said to Yuqi, glancing downward. And when Yuqi nodded, Yeonjae planted a kiss on Yuqi’s cheek and shifted herself to a comfortable position. “It’s fine if you just want to explore a little… I’ll have fun with whatever you do, okay?”

And with that, _Son Yeonjae’s_ body was there in front of her, with an open invitation for her to _explore_. Yuqi brought her hand up to Yeonjae’s hip again, but then slowly slid her fingers _down_ , loving every moment of Yeonjae’s soft, warm body yearning for her touch. She traced around Yeonjae’s thighs for a minute, teasing her, and then suddenly her fingers were sliding into wetness. Yeonjae moaned softly. _She’s so wet… for me_. Yuqi’s finger slowly traced up and down Yeonjae’s folds, her eyes locked on the older woman’s face memorizing every expression, every hitch in her breath. She found a rhythm, sliding up and making gentle circles around Yeonjae’s clit and then back down again. She tried as best as she could to read Yeonjae’s desire, to find what she wanted most, and sometimes her touch was too much or too little, but she could tell that what she was doing was _working_.

It didn’t hurt that Yeonjae had already gotten a _head start_ before Yuqi took over, but Yuqi felt like she deserved most of the credit.

“Can I…” Yuqi started to ask, but Yeonjae cut her off with a tiny, quick nod, not wanting to break the trance that Yuqi had kept her in. So Yuqi slowly slid her finger _down_ and _inside_. And the warm wetness inside her felt _divine_. “Is that… okay?” Yeonjae was tight, but accommodating.

“You can do more,” she said softly. So Yuqi slid a second finger in, and Yeonjae’s breath hitched but she took it without much trouble. “You can go… harder…” Yuqi began to thrust in and out with her two fingers, curling them inside, doing her best to keep some stimulation on Yeonjae’s clit. The waves of taste coming off of Yeonjae were _delicious_ and as rich as anything she’d ever tasted before, and it was almost difficult to concentrate on actually pleasuring Yeonjae over the feast of tastes available right in front of her. But as she increased her pace to match the desire she tasted, she could tell that a wave was building inside Yeonjae, so she put all of her focus into making her hand everything that Yeonjae wanted, and Yeonjae was moaning and shaking and almost _riding_ her fingers and all of a sudden Yuqi felt a beautiful release. And then Yeonjae was quiet, her breathing still heavy but her body floating softly on the waves of pleasure. “Yuqi…”

“Was that… okay?”

It took a moment for Yeonjae to form words. “That was really nice. Better than I expected for the first time. You’re… a quick learner.”

Yuqi blushed a bit. “Should I… keep going? I can do more if you want to… do it again…”

Yeonjae sighed a deep, breathy, satisfied sigh. “That was _more_ than enough for this time.” She paused, taking a moment to absorb the remaining echoes of pleasure. “But… you?”

Yuqi took a deep breath. _Am I ready? Yeah. I am._ She nodded and leaned in to kiss Yeonjae. “Go slow, okay?”

“Of course.”

* * *

An hour later, Song Yuqi had learned three new things about sex:

 _Number One_ : Sex can involve a lot of communication.

Most of Yuqi’s expectations for sex came from _tasting_ , porn, or talking with other idols. Her _tasting_ did not involve a detailed audio-visual feed, so the only noises Yuqi had personally heard from sex were Miyeon and Shuhua’s moans coming through the walls. Porn, despite sometimes having dirty talk, did not really explore the finer details of communication. The conversations she’d had about sex with other idols were typically very heteronormative and kind of sexually repressed and were also light on the more intimate details. So, Yuqi was surprised when Yeonjae continued talking with her, telling her what she liked, even when she had two of Yuqi’s fingers inside of her. She also made sure to check with Yuqi about what felt good for her too. It was hard for Yuqi to answer what felt good. It kind of _all_ felt good, just different types of good that were difficult to put into words.

 _Number Two:_ There can be a lot of multitasking involved in sex.

Yuqi had been well aware that there are several places on a woman’s body that can feel nice when touched, and she knew that more than one of these places can be touched at once. She’d explored this plenty of times on her own. She was still surprised to find that, in the moment, it took some concentration to make the best use of her fingers and her mouth simultaneously. There were a lot of combinations of touching and kissing and sucking and rubbing that could be tried. Yuqi very much wanted to find out which of them Yeonjae liked, but it wasn’t as easy as she’d imagined to do at least two things at once while also watching and listening for feedback.

 _Number Three:_ Tongues can get tired.

Yuqi quickly learned that Yeonjae tasted _very_ nice in more than just the succubus sense. She hadn’t really intended to go down on Yeonjae their first time together, but out of curiosity she had licked her fingers clean after their second time inside Yeonjae and she was immediately hooked on the taste. _However_ , while her thirst for _both_ of Yeonjae’s tastes was not quickly sated, she found that after fifteen minutes spent with her face buried between Yeonjae’s thighs she needed a bit of a break. Yuqi had never really had reason to exercise her tongue so much before but she decided to look up tongue workouts as soon as she got home.

Yuqi had also learned many things about her and Yeonjae’s likes and dislikes, but first and foremost among these was the fact that she _really_ liked having sex with Yeonjae. Her girlfriend was kind and patient and _gorgeous_ and was very good at both touching and being touched.

_Also, post-orgasm cuddles are the best._

“I’m gonna be the best ever at sex. Number one. _Song Yuqi_ , sex champion.”

Giggles came from the beautiful naked woman attached to her back. “ _My_ sex champion.”

“So what do we try next? I’ve read about lots of different –”

“Whoa there, champion. Let’s focus on the fundamentals for a bit. I’m not ready to bring in the strap-on just yet.”

“Do you _have_ one of those?” The thought was a little bit intimidating, experiencing something… much larger than Yeonjae’s fingers. _Would I do… that… or would she…?_ Yuqi wasn’t immediately sure.

“No, but we can get one if you want. _Eventually_. For now, let’s just focus on getting better with _these_ ,” she traced a few fingers across Yuqi’s chest, “and _this.”_ She kissed Yuqi’s neck from behind, teasing with the tip of her tongue.

“Can we bottle up some of how you taste then so I can have it when I go home?”

Yeonjae wrinkled her nose. “Gross.” She poked Yuqi disapprovingly. “If you want to taste me you have to come earn it in person.”

That seemed like a very reasonable deal to Yuqi. “What if I quit being an idol and we just have sex all the time instead?”

“Nope, you need a career so you can buy me presents.”

“Like… _sex toy_ presents?”

“Oh my god Yuqi, you’re so _horny_.” Yeonjae gave Yuqi a playful swat on her rear, and Yuqi’s eyes flared red. “ _Oh._ That’s _interesting_.” She swatted a tiny bit harder, and the glow increased. “Definitely gonna explore that more later.”

Yuqi blushed a little bit but wiggled her butt, turning her head to give Yeonjae a cute face. “Yes please.” She rolled over to plant a soft kiss on her girlfriend’s lips.

Yeonjae was thinking about something. “So… about the _energy_ thing.” _Oh. Right. I radiate energy during sex._ When they'd been intimate together before it had happened quickly, but this time it took a while for some reason. They hadn’t really discussed it _during_ , but... “Is that… safe? Last time you… _put out_ energy it hurt you…”

 _Oh. I didn’t think of that._ “I think it’s fine,” Yuqi said. “It didn’t feel the same as that at all.” she struggled to find the right words. “It was like… I was humming all over. And warm. Did you… was it okay for you?”

“It was great, it felt really nice. Really warm for me too. I just… as long as it’s safe for you.” Yeonjae had her _unnie_ look on her face.

 _Why is she so hot when she does that?_ Yuqi wrapped an arm around her girlfriend and leaned in to place a kiss on her chest. “I’ll ask Soojin, but I think it’s not a bad thing for me.” Yuqi studied her girlfriend, taking in all of her _glory_. But then she found herself looking closer, and then even _closer_. And then suddenly Yuqi could hear Yeonjae’s heartbeat. She moved her hand to trace it across Yeonjae’s chest, and she could hear Yeonjae’s heart speed up a little bit, her pupils dilating. Yuqi could see the faint traces from where she’d bitten Yeonjae’s neck gently a few minutes earlier, traces she’d never have noticed before. _Oh. That’s new._ And then suddenly things looked normal again. “I think I just did a… succubus thing.” _But why now?_

“Like, a good thing?”

“I think so. I looked at you and, like, _saw_ you. Super clearly. Like a microscope, but everywhere.”

“Like… all my _pores_ and stuff?” Yeonjae scrunched up her face.

“No, not like that. I liked it. I just noticed a lot of little things. I could hear your heart beating.”

“Oh. That’s okay I guess. Is it because we had sex?”

“Maybe? Or maybe because of… last night? Or both? I dunno.”

“Hmmm…” Yeonjae looked a little worried and… sad? “Please just… be careful?”

“Soojin is a good unnie, I promise. She messed up, but… it won’t happen again. I trust her. Can you at least try to trust her too?”

Yeonjae sighed a big sigh. “I wanted to punch her right in her cute puffy cheeks. I still kind of do. But okay, I’ll try.”

“Sooooo… can we have sex again?” Yuqi trailed a couple of fingers experimentally across Yeonjae’s upper thigh.

Yeonjae groaned. “Ugh, you’re so horny.” But she reached down and brought Yuqi’s fingers higher. “And yes, we can.”

* * *

“Can we… talk?”

Soojin was lying on her bed playing with her phone when Yuqi poked her head in the door.

Soojin scrunched up her brow. “I thought you were staying with Yeonjae just to cuddle or something. Not, like, to have a ton of sex, apparently.”

 _Ugh._ “Unnie… can you at least _pretend_ you don’t know when I have sex with my girlfriend?” Yuqi walked in and plopped down on Soojin’s bed. “And our plans changed.” She grinned. “And it was _really_ good. I’m the best at sex now.”

Soojin snorted. “No you’re not. You don’t even taste that good.”

This earned a glare from Yuqi. “Something is clearly wrong with you. And you have to be nice to me, you almost got me killed last night.”

Yuqi saw Soojin cringe. _Okay, at least she feels a_ little _guilty._

“Okay fine. What do you want to know?”

“I did the thing you said. By accident. The one for seeing details.”

“Oh. Weird.”

“ _Weird?_ Weren’t you _just_ trying to get me to do that last night? Why is it weird _now_?”

“Usually that’s the hardest of those things. You’re learning backwards. Can you do it now?”

“Uhhhh…” Yuqi scrunched her face up, concentrating. “I don’t think so.”

“You look like you’re pooping, Yuqi. That’s not how you do it.”

“Well then _explain it_.” _Unnie pleeeease._

“Okay fine. Ummm. Okay.” Soojin sat up. “Are you hungry right now or…” she grimaced. “Nevermind, dumb question. Hmmm. So, try to feel your fullness. Relax, and focus on that part of you. Just feel the energy inside you. Don’t do anything with it, just feel it.”

 _Am I a Jedi? Cause I feel like I’m supposed to be a Jedi right now._ Yuqi closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, turning her attention inward. _Ummm… okay, yeah, it’s there._ This wasn’t anything new. The feeling of her other ‘stomach’ had been there for years. “Okay, what next?”

“It’s moving around, right? Like, humming a bit?”

 _Humming? I guess it’s kind of like that_. “Yeah, I guess.”

“So… imagine letting a little bit of it out to buzz around your body.” She quickly emphasized, “Not all of it, just a little.”

Yuqi frowned. “I can… let it out? I didn’t know I was holding it _in_.”

“Just loosen it up a little bit. It can take a while at first. Be patient.”

 _Well, okay, I guess._ Yuqi concentrated, relaxing and focusing her attention inward, trying to loosen up whatever… “ _muscles”_ were holding the energy in. After a couple of minutes, she found… _something_ inside herself and when she concentrated on it, she felt a little bit of a shift in her energy. “Oh _weird_.” Her fingers were tingling. She reached down and ran her fingertips across the comforter on Soojin’s bed. It felt like she was touching every thread individually. _Huh. What happens if I…_ She focused to let more energy out and suddenly everything felt… “Ahhh!” She could feel every single fiber in her shirt poking into her skin, and the rough, fuzzy fabric of her pajama pants felt like sandpaper grating against her. Her senses were being assaulted. “Ahhh get it off!” She tried to fling her shirt off, but it got stuck on her arms and that felt even _worse_ and…

“Hey, _focus_. You used too much. Let that energy go, out of your body.”

Focusing was agonizing, but Yuqi clenched her jaw and did her best to tune out the noise of all of her nerves screaming at once and… _There. Thank god._ She felt like a human again. _Ish._ She sighed. “Okay. How do I not do that?”

“If you’re gonna use energy, you have to be careful. You can’t let too much out all at once, and if you want to use more than just a little bit you have to tell it where to go.”

“Yeah, thanks for mentioning that part _after_ I went and got myself almost killed by my skin.”

“Don’t be a drama queen, Yuqi. You’re fine. It would’ve stopped in a minute anyway. And next time, maybe don’t go trying things on your own when you don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

Yuqi bit back a protest. _Work_ with _her, Yuqi. Be patient._ “Okay. Fine. So what do I do to make stuff happen like what you did yesterday?”

“Let another tiny bit out, but this time tell it to go to your eyes.”

 _Hmmm that can’t be so hard, right? I just…_ Suddenly found her vision super zoomed in on Soojin’s nose, with her peripheral vision blurred. “Ack, how do I control this?!”

“Just relax, it’ll be weird at first. And you won’t get much from me. Your senses naturally focus on sex stuff, like the stuff about the couple in the…” she grimaced. “In the bar. The ones who had sex in the alley. And I don’t have any of that.”

 _Oh. Huh. I never thought about that. Does Soojin…_ With some effort, Yuqi zoomed back out from Soojin’s nose. “Can I ask you a different question? About something with Yeonjae.”

“I’m probably not the person to ask for relationship advice, Yuqi.”

“That’s not what I meant. It was about the sex. I started, like, radiating. Like halfway through. Is that normal?”

“Oh. Yeah, that can happen. You’re… overflowing kind of. I think sex with a human is supposed to be really filling, so when you’re full the rest of it kind of spills out a little bit. It probably took a minute because you were so empty when you started. I’ve heard it’s supposed to feel good for the person you’re with. Did Yeonjae like it?”

Yuqi squirmed a bit but nodded. “So it’s not dangerous?”

“No, it’s kind of the opposite. It means you’re eating well.”

“Did that ever happen to you when you were with a human?”

“I’m not really interested in having sex. I mostly just like to eat.”

 _Oh. Huh._ “You haven’t at all? Not with another succubus either?”

“No, I haven’t… but maybe when I get… partnered, I’ll...” Soojin was starting to look uncomfortable.

“Oh.” Yuqi was _very_ interested in knowing more about what _partnered_ meant, but Soojin definitely looked like she didn’t want to talk more about it right now. _A succubus who isn’t interested in sex. Huh. Does that mean she’s asexual?_ Yuqi shelved that thought. She’d wait for Soojin to share how she identified if she wanted to.

Soojin quickly changed the subject. “I have an idea for how you can practice. Come with me.” Soojin got up and made her way out to the living room. Miyeon and Shuhua were standing in the kitchen. Both of them were drinking from mugs. _Hot chocolate maybe?_ They were clearly flirting with each other. _As if they still need to flirt. Either one of them could literally just point at the bedroom._ Soojin nudged Yuqi and spoke quietly. “Watch them and try to notice stuff. You can tell me about what you noticed later.”

Yuqi pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table, and Soojin sat down on the couch in front of the TV and started browsing the Netflix menu. _Okay. Focus._ Yuqi closed her eyes and concentrated again, willing a tiny bit of energy to her eyes.

“Uhhh… Yuqi? Are you okay? You look constipated.” Yuqi’s eyes snapped open. Shuhua was staring at her.

“No, I’m not _constipated_ thank you very much. I just… had a big lunch.” A _gorgeous_ lunch.

Shuhua shrugged and gave her a side-eye and then turned back to flirting with Miyeon.

 _Okay, eyes. Do your thing. What do I notice?_ Nothing seemed very out-of-place. _They’re wearing pajamas… but so am I._ That didn’t necessarily mean anything. _Miyeon keeps blushing whenever Shuhua smiles at her_. _But that seems pretty normal._ One of Shuhua’s hands was a little bit red but— _wait why is one of Shuhua’s hands red?_ It was a tiny red tint that Yuqi quickly realized she wouldn’t normally have noticed. _Okay succubus brain. Why are you making me notice her hand? Is it red because the mug is hot? No, that can’t be it. She’s not holding it like it’s hot, and only one of her hands is red._ Miyeon’s neck had some faint red marks, but those could have been from any time in the last few days. Yuqi’s brain didn’t grant her any more clues for another minute, but then she thought she caught Miyeon _wincing_ , a tiny movement in her eyes when she leaned back against the counter. _Hmmm. That’s interesting._

“What are you guys drinking?”

“It’s just some cheap wine that Minnie got. Do you want some?” Shuhua reached back to a corner of the counter and showed Yuqi the bottle.

 _Huh. Wine. I should’ve figured that out._ “Ummm sure.” Yuqi knew that the polite thing would be to get up and join them, but that wouldn’t help with her slowly forming plan. Fortunately, Shuhua seemed to be in a social mood so she grabbed another mug from the cabinet and brought the bottle over to the table where Yuqi was sitting. Miyeon followed, shuffling behind. _Here it comes._ Shuhua pulled out a chair and sat. Miyeon was trying to catch Shuhua’s eye but the youngest wasn’t paying attention, so Miyeon reluctantly pulled out a chair and sat down too. _There it is._ Miyeon had _definitely_ winced when she sat down. _Good job, detective Yuqi. Caught them… red-handed._

…

Fifteen minutes and a mug of cheap wine later, Yuqi reconvened with Soojin, this time in Yuqi’s bedroom.

“So, what did you notice?”

“Shuhua spanked Miyeon. Probably a lot. She was sore.”

Soojin nodded. “Good. What else?”

“There was more?”

Soojin raised an eyebrow. “Yup.”

 _Oops._ “Okay, what did I miss?”

“Not that much. It was pretty normal stuff for them tonight. Some spanking, and then Shu went down on Miyeon. And Miyeon wasn’t wearing any underwear in the kitchen.”

 _That’s_ normal _for them? The spanking part sounds kind of…_ interesting _though._ “How did you know about…” but then all the connections came flooding in. Her brain had picked up on all of those things, pointing her to each piece. She just hadn’t listened. Miyeon hadn’t been blushing because Shuhua was smiling. She’d been blushing because Shu was reminding her what she’d just done with her mouth. Yuqi’s succubus brain had pointed her at the pajamas too. Maybe she should’ve looked closer? “How did you figure out the underwear thing?”

“That part was the hardest cause it wasn’t obvious. It was easier to notice it this time because it’s happened a bunch this week. It’s a new thing for them, I think. Shuhua likes to check on the marks she makes sometimes, so she gets Miyeon not to wear underwear so she can have easy access to see.”

“Has Miyeon just, like, not been wearing underwear? That’s kinda gross.”

“No, she usually does, it’s just sometimes around the apartment. She lets Shu pull her pajamas down a bit to look when they think nobody’s around.”

“Huh.” _That’s… cute?_

“I think it’s because of what you did.” Soojin smiled a small, teasing smile. “Yuqi’s first _tending_. And it’s a good one too.”

 _That’s the first real smile she’s had for me since all of this started._ “Ummm… thanks. I’ll do more. I think. Am I supposed to keep… _working_ on them? Or should I find a new couple?”

“I can take care of Shuhua and Miyeon now.” Soojin had a… _happy?_... look on her face. “But if you want to find another couple to tend to that would be nice. You can use your new skills.”

“Oh.” _Right, I won’t always run into a confused couple literally waiting for me in my living room._ “How do I find them?”

“There’s lots of types. You just have to pay attention to who’s around you. The easiest is two people who already like each other but are afraid to confess their feelings. Couples that are fighting are harder but sometimes you can help. The worst is unrequited love. Stay away from that. It’s sad, but there’s nothing you can do.” Soojin paused and smiled a small, happy smile. “My favorite is _rekindling_. Couples that still love each other but have lost their passion. The shopkeeper at the convenience store down the block was like that with his wife.”

“ _You_ did that?” Yuqi fondly remembered the day when she walked in and the man tasted like a _feast_.

“Yeah. I’m proud of that one.”

“Tell me how. I want _all_ the details.”

And Yuqi listened with rapt attention as Soojin told the shopkeeper’s story. _I’m gonna be the best tender ever._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing the sex stuff was super hard and awkward and it literally took me days. Hopefully it was ok? I've been thinking a ton about trying not to fetishize ~virginity, and I actually cut the whole sex scene for a while because it felt like too much, but in the end I added it back in because so much of this story is about succubus-Yuqi learning about herself in different ways.
> 
> Yuqi's chapters aren't as detail-focused as Soojin's chapters because Yuqi doesn't see the world in as much detail as Soojin does (yet?). This chapter was supposed to have a shift to Soojin's perspective (the first time I had two different perspectives in the same chapter, actually) but it was getting long so I thought it might be too much.
> 
> I want to take a moment to thank the translators who put English subtitles on Idle stuff. I dunno if any of them read fanfics but if so, please know that I appreciate you!


	12. I feel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Technically speaking, you just came out to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the shortest chapter so far I think, but that's kind of just how it turned out. The next things that are going to happen need their own chapter.
> 
> Also, the Yuqi + Yeonjae learn way episode passed 1M views yay! If you somehow got this far without watching it (lol?) [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBnoiKdnHjs) it is.

There were more things that Yuqi missed about Miyeon and Shuhua in the kitchen, but Soojin decided that Yuqi didn’t need to know all of them. She didn’t want to discourage her. _Baby steps_.

As she did most days, Soojin had taken her time looking both of them over, checking up on recent developments and making sure they were still happy. They had been tasting tart recently, like raspberries or blackberries. It was a nice taste, but it had a bit of a punch and an intensity. A lot of it had to do with Miyeon’s newfound confidence. Weeks earlier when she was more weighed down by confusion about her identity, she’d apparently justified her “straightness” by focusing her attention more on giving Shuhua pleasure. Somehow, her brain had found a way to rationalize this -- if she just focused on pleasing Shuhua, it was because she cared about Shuhua, but if she enjoyed Shuhua pleasing _her_ , it meant that she wasn’t straight. She still did let Shuhua get her off sometimes, but she always tasted guilty afterward. _Human brains are amazing at justifying really weird things._

Miyeon still didn’t seem to have decided exactly what she _was_ , but now that she was more confident in the idea that it was okay if she wasn’t completely straight, her sex with Shuhua had changed a lot. Miyeon had discovered that she actually really liked it when Shuhua was in control, and Shuhua was apparently more than happy to oblige. It had started with some light spanking, and now they had moved on to blindfolds and Miyeon’s hands being tied to the bed. They didn’t have real _equipment_ for any of this experimentation, but they improvised pretty well. _If necessity is the mother of invention, horny-ness is at least an aunt._

Soojin had learned about all of this from _observing_ , of course. The two of them saved the spanking for when they thought nobody could hear, but Soojin had much better hearing than humans when she chose to. The blindfolds and makeshift rope left tiny fibers on Miyeon’s face and marks on her wrists that nobody but Soojin could see. _Maybe Yuqi will see soon too?_ But the biggest clue was the way the two of them looked at each other. On days when they had this more _intimate_ kind of sex, Miyeon began to adopt a quiet, shy, and _adoring_ look that she directed at Shuhua. The youngest’s eyes filled with a fierce protectiveness, as if she would stand between Miyeon and a charging bear if necessary. Shuhua also gained another trait that puzzled Soojin, but she certainly didn’t mind – Shuhua didn’t need as much praise as she had before. She was normally a sponge for all sorts of praise, much of which she actively solicited, but now it seemed like it was enough for her just to know that _Cho Miyeon_ wanted to be totally hers. That was apparently the best praise Shuhua could think of.

Despite her ability to observe Miyeon and Shuhua, Soojin still had to admit that she had a little bit of a blind spot for them. _Helping the shopkeeper on the corner was just a nice, nutritious thing to do, but… Shuhua and Miyeon-unnie are my friends._ She knew that she could never tell them her secret, so interfering in their relationship always felt wrong because it felt _dishonest_. And maybe that’s why Soojin felt she was never very good at it. Her worst failure had been when the two of them had decided to tell her about their relationship. She had already known for a long time, of course, but it was a big moment for them to be comfortable telling her. And she’d ruined it by asking Miyeon if she was gay. _Why did I think that was a good idea? I knew she was confused, so why would I ask that?_ _Maybe I was hoping that if I asked, she’d have to try to figure out what she was?_ But instead Soojin had just caused a fight and had ended up crying in the other apartment in Minnie’s arms.

Minnie, being the wonderful and sweet person that she was, just held her and whispered reassuring words, even when Soojin wouldn’t tell her why she was crying. Minnie probably just guessed that the stress of their schedule was getting to her. It wouldn’t have been the first time. They’d all cried from stress before. And for some reason that just made Soojin cry harder. _I don’t deserve friends like these. I’ve been lying to them every day since the beginning._

But now, for the first time, she’d told the truth to one of them. _Yuqi_. And only a couple of days later, a _human_ found out. _Yeonjae_. Two holes in her carefully crafted wall.

Soojin was lying on her bed, her finger hovering over the send button. _Eomma, what do you know about halves?_ Even on an encrypted chat app, there was no reason to risk typing out _half-succubus_ or even _half-blood._ Her mother would know what she meant. She hadn’t decided whether to send it yet. She’d received a message from her mother on their chat that morning while she was still at Yeonjae’s apartment, but she hadn’t seen it until she got back to the apartment that afternoon. _“Adriana._ _Wish her well.”_ It was a simple, brief announcement. Somewhere in the world, a baby succubus girl had been born. She didn’t ask her mother where the child had been born. She never asked. There was no point – her mother probably didn’t know anything more than what the message said. It was safer if they didn’t know. Soojin whispered the words of the blessing under her breath, a soft smile on her lips. _May she live quietly among the flowers._

She sighed and closed the chat app, the message to her mother unsent. Soojin had a plan for what do about Yuqi, for the moment at least. Though the young half-succubus had done well on her own for years, she still needed training. The fact that Yeonjae knew her secret was proof enough of this – either she’d chosen to tell Yeonjae, which meant that she didn’t fully understand the danger, or she’d been caught, which meant she needed help taking more precautions. Soojin knew that there wasn’t an urgent need to notify her kin about Yuqi. If they somehow figured out that she’d been hiding the half-succubus, Soojin’s punishment wouldn’t be severe. They would say that it wasn’t her place to decide what to do with Yuqi and that the _half-blood_ should be trained by an experienced trainer. But Soojin was becoming more and more comfortable with the idea that it wasn’t _their_ place to decide either. _Yuqi should have the choice I never had. She should get to decide which world she wants to live in._ So, for now, that would be her goal. Soojin would teach Yuqi everything she needed to know to make that choice.

But _Yeonjae_ … that was another matter entirely.

* * *

“The first of us was probably born around a thousand years ago.” Soojin and Yuqi were sitting on the rooftop of their building, late in the afternoon the next day, looking out over their neighborhood. “I don’t know exactly when. We don’t keep history books.” It was hard to taste much from so high up without spending energy, but occasionally she’d catch a faint taste of oatmeal or bananas floating through the air. Occasionally she’d focus in on an interesting passerby. As she was speaking with Yuqi, an office worker walked by, probably on her way home to her husband – she had a ring on her finger and the taste of a man mixed with her own. Their sex tasted like… waffles. _They’re trying for a baby._ As adorable as this was, it also meant that the woman probably wouldn’t be a good candidate for _tending_ for very much longer. New parents were usually too stressed and overwhelmed to be good sources of sex-nutrition. Soojin’s attention shifted onward, passively searching for other candidates.

“Most of the people I asked think we probably first appeared in east Asia somewhere, but I don’t think any of us really knows exactly _how_ we first appeared. One of my teachers told me once that she thought it must have been a place where sexual values had become too strict and the population was shrinking, so we evolved to help balance that out.” She was fiddling with the zipper on the winter coat she was wearing. It was probably silly for them to be outside in the cold when they could just have this conversation in one of their rooms, but Soojin had felt like this conversation was too big and too important for it to be hidden in a dark room. “I don’t think that’s how evolution works exactly.” She shrugged. “But it’s the only explanation I’ve heard that was close to making sense.”

“But, like, can’t you just… do some science to figure it out? That stuff is super easy nowadays. People can pay a little bit of money and send in their DNA to a company and they’ll figure out where all their ancestors are from.”

“Did you _do_ that?” Soojin was looking at Yuqi with sudden terror in her eyes.

“No, Soo, of course not. I’m not _stupid_.”

She knew Yuqi wasn’t _stupid_ , but she felt the need to reiterate. “You can’t get involved with anything about DNA, Yuqi. I don’t know how much of our DNA is different, but it’s probably enough for them to realize that something is weird.” The younger woman nodded, apparently having already thought this through, so Soojin shifted back to answer her original question. “Science is easy for humans because there are so many of them. Even if only one in a thousand humans becomes a biologist, that means there’s still millions of them in the world. We can’t match numbers like that, and there are other jobs that are higher priority for us anyway.”

“Like being a K-pop idol?” Yuqi was looking at her with eyebrows raised.

“We need money to stay hidden, and if I do well enough in this career, I’ll eventually have a lot of money to send to the others. It’s risky to be in the spotlight like this, but I was trained for it.”

Soojin hadn’t meant it to seem like a criticism, but Yuqi frowned. “And I wasn’t? That’s not my fault, I was just doing my best.”

“No, no, I didn’t mean it that way…” _Come on Soojin, stop saying stupid things._ “It’s not your fault at all, I’m sorry. I’ve just never talked with someone about these things who didn’t grow up in… the same world as me.”

Yuqi patted her on the back a little bit awkwardly. _The student having to reassure the teacher?_ “It’s okay, unnie. I appreciate it. I know you’re trying hard. I’m just happy to…”

_Happy not to be alone._ Yuqi didn’t need to finish the sentence. Soojin knew what she meant. “Me too.” She played with a piece of gravel that had somehow made it up to the roof. “I…” _It’s okay to open up, Soojin. Yuqi will understand._ “I hate that I can’t tell our groupmates.” She sighed. “I feel like I’m lying to them.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Soojin felt Yuqi’s hand sneaking its way into hers. “I felt guilty about that ever since we all started getting closer, but...” She paused... “It helped a little bit when I told Shuhua and Miyeon-unnie that I’m… gay. Even if I wasn’t sharing _everything_ with them, it felt better that I was sharing at least one of my secrets.”

“Hmmm. That’s the first time you actually told me you’re gay. We all know you like Yeonjae, but…” The whole situation was almost funny. “Technically speaking, you just came out to me.”

Yuqi snorted. “You say that like you haven’t known since forever ago.”

Soojin just shrugged. “I knew you were only attracted to women, but I didn’t know how you identified exactly. So… thanks for trusting me, I guess?”

Yuqi chuckled. “Now you know my deepest darkest secret,” she said, a hint of wry sarcasm in her voice. “You already knew I’m a half-succubus with a girlfriend, but now you know I’m _gay_ too.” They smiled together, their hands linked. _The first friend I’ve had in a long time who I can be honest with._

A tentative look replaced the smile on Yuqi’s face. She was thinking about something. _Oh, she’s wondering about…_ “It’s okay, you can ask.”

“I… I wouldn’t…” _Awkward Yuqi is kind of funny._ It was a sharp contrast with Yuqi’s public persona, or even her normal persona when her group was hanging out, but Soojin kind of liked it. “I wouldn’t ask, but you kind of already said you’re not interested in sex, so…”

“So how do I identify?” Yuqi nodded. “I’m asexual. Ace. I still have romantic feelings sometimes, but I don’t have any interest in having sex with anyone.”

“Huh. Is that… common?”

“For _us_? I don’t know. There’s not really enough of us to say. It’s probably about as common as it is with humans. None of the others ever treated me badly because of it. They’re fine with it so long as…” She paused. “So long as I can still find a way to contribute.” Yuqi seemed to want to hear more about what the options were for _contributing_ , but mercifully she chose not to ask. Soojin wasn’t really up for talking about her future like that yet.

A thought seemed to strike Yuqi. “Do you… like _hugs_?” Yuqi suddenly seemed worried that they had all been making her uncomfortable.

_That’s sweet of her._ “Cuddles are okay as long as they’re friend-cuddles. Shuhua is a little much sometimes. But… I think she’s kind of a little much for pretty much anybody, not just me.” _Except Miyeon of course._

Yuqi nodded. “I know it’s not really my place to say, but… maybe you’d feel a little better if you shared that part of you with some of the others? I think they’d be supportive.”

“Hmmm.” _Maybe._

…

“So… you didn’t answer before. How many of… _us…_ are there?”

Soojin sighed. _Do I answer that? Where are the lines? I want her to know who we are, but…_ “Yuqi, I want to tell you about things like that, but… you need to have a conversation with Yeonjae first. You need to tell her that there are things about us that you just won’t be able to share with her.”

“Soo, she’s not like that. She’d never tell.”

_I hate having to do this._ “She really does seem like a good person. I think she really cares about you. But… what if one night she gets really drunk and something slips out, or what if she has to go under anesthesia for surgery and she doesn’t know what she’s saying, or what if…” Soojin left the rest of the sentence unfinished.

“I’m… I’m just not sure if I’m okay with hiding important things from her like that, unnie.”

Yuqi looked sad, and maybe a little hurt, but Soojin didn’t budge. _I’m sorry Yuqi, but I have to be tough on this._ “It’s okay if you take some time to think about it, but… I can’t talk about that stuff unless I know it’s safe.” Soojin huddled a bit closer to Yuqi, half for warmth and half for… _understanding? Comfort? Support?_ _To show her that she’s not alone. Yeonjae can be her human-unnie, and I’ll be her… succubus-unnie. Except without the girlfriend part. Or the romance. Or the sex. Just the friend parts._ “For now let’s just have another… lesson, okay?”

“Ooh!” Yuqi scooted around to face her, the tension in the air immediately dissolving. “Yes please, teacher!”

Soojin rolled her eyes. “Let’s just keep it at ‘Soojin-unnie’.” She motioned to the street below them. “We’ll do some practice with focusing. Look at the people walking by down there and tell me what you notice about each of them.”

Yuqi peered over the edge, looking down several stories to the sidewalk in front of their building. “It’s kind of… _far_.” Her only previous practice had been observing Miyeon and Shuhua from a few feet away in their living room.

“I know. You probably won’t be able to see any of the really hidden stuff from up here, but I think you can probably notice the more obvious things if you focus.”

Yuqi took a deep breath. “Okay.” She slowly calmed her breathing, and after a minute she opened her eyes and stared down to the street.

Soojin looked her over. _Pretty good form. Much faster this time than at the beginning._ Then she turned her own attention down to the street, easily switching into her detail-focused gaze.

A couple walked by – a woman and a man probably a little older than Miyeon, both wearing big winter coats and holding hands. Soojin took them in quickly and then waited for Yuqi. It took the younger succubus a little longer than Soojin, but eventually she spoke. “They’re not married. No rings on either one. They don’t really taste like each other, so they’re probably a new couple?” _Okay, those are the easy details. Can you get a harder one?_ Soojin waited for Yuqi to continue. “Oh! Cute! This is the first time they’ve held hands!” Yuqi turned to Soojin for confirmation, and Soojin nodded, smiling.

“How could you tell? What did you notice?”

“Well…” Yuqi struggled a bit to translate her intuitive feelings into words. “They were walking awkwardly, like they didn’t know how to match each other’s pace yet. And they weren’t really talking, just looking at each other and smiling dumb silly smiles.”

“Good!” Soojin nodded approvingly at Yuqi, who was apparently so pleased by the praise that she forgot to boast. Soojin didn’t feel the need to point out all the details Yuqi had missed. This was just supposed to be basic practice to help her control her energy and get more confident. The other details for this couple weren’t very interesting anyways. The man was wearing clothes that had been fashionable a couple of years earlier and he didn’t have enough fashion sense to match the pieces correctly. He probably had an ex who cared about fashion and had picked out the clothes for him, but he’d been single for a while. The woman hadn’t worn real earrings in a while. Soojin could see lingering redness from where she’d pulled at her earlobe to try to reopen the hole. This didn’t necessarily mean that she’d been single for a while too, but it probably meant that she cared about the date. The two of them had gone for coffee – Soojin could still smell the café scent on them – and apparently it had gone well.

“Now do another one.”

The next few passersby that they observed didn’t have much to see. They were single with no current or recent dating activity and no obviously immediate romantic interests. But after a while Soojin and Yuqi found a more interesting target, and then another, and then another. And each time, Yuqi did a little bit better. By the time the sky started to fade into evening shades, the two of them were starting to get hungry from the energy they’d spent.

Soojin nodded her final approval, ending the lesson. “Let’s go out to eat? I know the perfect little café.”

Yuqi smiled and nodded cutely. “Aren’t I the best student ever?”

Soojin snorted as she stood up and headed for the stairs. _Definitely the best student_ I’ve _ever taught._

* * *

“We’ve gathered you all here today on this holy day… ow!”

Miyeon had elbowed Shuhua in the ribs, stopping her speech. “Shu, there’s just four of us.”

Yuqi and Soojin were sitting on the floor in Miyeon’s room along with the two girlfriends. Neither succubus minded the location despite their _acute_ awareness of how many of the surfaces had been used for sex. Both were content just to munch on the variety of tastes, a light dessert after their dinner at the café.

“Hush, unnie, you’re ruining the moment.” Shuhua had somehow managed to get her hands on a formal tuxedo jacket, which, despite being quite a bit too big for her, actually looked pretty good. She tasted like strawberries topped with whipped cream – happy, confident, and lighthearted.

“As I was saying, we’ve gathered here today to celebrate my girlfriend who, as you all know, is the most gorgeous and sexy of all of the members except me.” Shuhua stated this as if it were an obvious fact, and Yuqi had to swallow a laugh. Soojin just sat, eyebrows raised. “I have many stories to share about our time together. The good times, the better times, and the best times, by which I mean sex.”

“Shu! Can you just –”

Shuhua continued, cutting off her girlfriend. “However,” she said with a flourish and a mock-sophisticated look, “I haven’t brought you here to listen to me brag. I’m too modest for that. We’re here today because Miyeon-unnie has an announcement. So, please everyone welcome our guest of honor, _Cho Miyeon!_ ” Shuhua clapped enthusiastically, unconcerned that neither Yuqi nor Soojin was applauding with her.

“Oh my god, Shu.” Miyeon covered her face with her hands for a moment, taking a deep breath. “Okay, so…” She scrunched up her face, squirming a bit. “I’m… bisexual.”

Shuhua leapt up and cheered. “My girlfriend likes girls!” She plopped back down on the ground and wrapped her arms around Miyeon, engulfing her with the tuxedo jacket.

Neither Yuqi nor Soojin was surprised, of course, but Shuhua’s unbridled excitement was enough to get smiles out of both of them. Yuqi was the first to speak. “Congratulations, unnie. I’m proud of you.” She moved to try to give Miyeon a hug, but Shuhua hadn’t let go yet. Yuqi awkwardly poked at her until she finally dislodged herself, and then scooped Miyeon up in a big soft hug.

“Thanks, Yuqi. I… I appreciate your help. With everything.”

Soojin was next. She gave Miyeon a quiet hug, holding on a bit longer and a bit tighter than usual. Miyeon smiled a soft smile and let herself sink into Soojin’s arms. They didn’t need any words. The embrace was enough. Miyeon’s relaxing mint taste and her floral, woody perfume mixed together and for a moment the walls Soojin had built around herself seemed a little bit lower.

_Huh._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm playing a little fast and loose with evolutionary biology here, but I wanted at least a basic explanation of why there might be succubi without magic or fantasy. It's not necessarily the _real_ truth, it's just one theory Soojin has heard.
> 
> Just to be clear, when Soojin mentioned having to _contribute_ , it wasn’t some weird thing about her being forced to eventually get pregnant even if she decides she doesn’t want to. She mentioned a couple of chapters ago that it’s (mostly) accepted if a succubus really doesn’t want to have children, so long as they still find another way to contribute to the community (though she hasn’t yet said what the options are for contributing).


	13. Ooh I'm a lion, I'm a queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As she stepped inside, Yeonjae spotted Yuqi on the floor. She was rolling around, trying to wrestle something away from Shuhua while Miyeon looked on, half amused and half terrified of the ball of gleeful violence that her girlfriend had turned into. _So this is what Yuqi is like when I’m not around._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the moments in the party in this chapter were inspired by [this](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29443518) lovely/smutty fic. Yuqi is a wonderful ball of chaos sometimes.

One morning in late February, about a week after the _bar incident_ with Yuqi and Soojin, Yeonjae’s phone lit up with a notification from a different member:

**_Cho Miyeon_** **(** **조미연** **)  
**_Hi unnie…  
__We’re having a party to watch the last episode of my series  
__Would you maybe want to come?  
__It’s ok if you’re busy  
__But it would be nice to see you again  
__It’s on Saturday_

_She’s nervous_. _Cute_. Yeonjae smiled and wrote back.

**_Son Yeonjae_ ** **(** **손연재** **)  
** _I’d love to!  
_ _I teach classes until the evening  
_ _But after I clean up from those?_

**_Cho Miyeon_** **(** **조미연** **)  
**_Yay!  
__You don’t have to bring anything  
__It’s just us, so bringing yourself is enough :)_

_Just_ us _, huh? Does that mean it’s only the group members?_ If it was group members and plus-ones, Yeonjae figured she might be the only other guest. Yuqi hadn’t mentioned whether Minnie or Soyeon had a partner, but… _Miyeon and Shuhua are together, Yuqi is mine, and I’m… pretty sure Soojin isn’t dating anyone._ The evening might just be _Idle plus Yeonjae._

An uncomfortable thought stuck in Yeonjae’s head. _Soojin._ It would be the first time they’d seen each other since their _less-than-pleasant_ exchange in Yeonjae’s apartment after the almost tragic night. Yuqi had done her best to convince her that Soojin meant well, but she was still finding it very difficult to forgive the older… _succubus_. Yeonjae really didn’t understand much about the _succubus stuff_ , but she knew how deeply important all of this was for Yuqi. _Soojin should never have pushed Yuqi that hard. She’s still just trying to figure things out._

Yeonjae guessed that her reunion with Soojin would likely not be a particularly warm one. Still, she decided that this shouldn’t prevent her from supporting Miyeon. She felt a little bit proud of the eldest member for how much she seemed to have grown in only the past few weeks, and she was touched that Miyeon would think to invite her, even if it was only because she was Yuqi’s girlfriend.

* * *

Yuqi and Yeonjae were lying together in bed in Yeonjae’s apartment above her studio late in the afternoon that Friday, sweaty and satisfied. The young half-succubus apparently saw pleasing her girlfriend as a personal challenge. Yeonjae was fairly sure she’d even spotted Yuqi counting her moans a couple of times, probably making mental notes about how well she was doing.

 _She also seems kind of obsessed with how I taste, which is… nice?_ “So… what do you _see_ on me today?”

“Mostly just things I already know. It’s nice to see real signs that you like having sex with me though.” She gave a silly smile and wiggled her eyebrows. “I like when you get turned on when I dance. And it’s nice that you think I’m hot when I’m sweaty.” They had practiced with ribbons for a while earlier that day before coming upstairs to her apartment. “It’s funny that you think Miyeon is cute though.”

“Ack!” Yeonjae stiffened a bit and blushed. “How… I haven’t been together with you and her since that date...” She squirmed. “I’m really not interested in her like that…”

“Your pupils dilated a tiny bit when you mentioned her earlier.” She smiled. “You’re allowed to think she’s cute. You’re even allowed to imagine sleeping with her if you want.” She traced her finger across Yeonjae’s chest, teasing. “I know better than anyone that people don’t magically stop being attracted to other people when they’re in a relationship. It’s fine.” She stopped tracing and poked Yeonjae firmly, giving her a very _direct_ look. “But you’re not allowed to touch her, okay? Only me.”

“Only you,” Yeonjae said back, smiling softly. She wondered for a moment whether Yuqi could sense that she was telling the truth when she said that. _You’re the only one that I… want to be with like this._ In this relationship, _trust_ meant something a little bit different. Yeonjae definitely trusted Yuqi, but she knew that Yuqi didn’t really even need to rely on trust in return. She’d be able to taste it in an instant if Yeonjae was ever with anyone else. “It’s a little unfair that you can tell who I think is attractive, but I can’t know that about you.”

Yuqi nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah I know. You can always ask me though, if you really want to know. I’ll be honest.”

 _Hmmm… should I?_ “Okay…” _Is it a bad idea?_ “How do you really feel about… Soyeon?”

Yuqi looked at her curiously. “You’re really worried about the shippers?” She gave a tiny snort. “I don’t think of her that way, but…” … _But?_ “I’m kind of curious what she’s like in bed. I think she’s probably into some kinky stuff.” Yuqi’s eyes tinted a very slight red, but it was gone in a moment. _Okay, just a tiny bit of red. That’s acceptable._ It had become a habit now for Yuqi to take out her lenses when they were in Yeonjae’s apartment. Yeonjae was absolutely _addicted_ to seeing her girlfriend get turned on.

“Mmmm. She’s an interesting person. You haven’t asked me if _I’m_ into kinky stuff though.” She noticed with satisfaction that this got a much brighter red glow out of the half-succubus’s eyes.

Yuqi smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “I already know what you want to try next. I haven’t decided yet whether I want to do that, but I’ll tell you if I think I do.”

 _Oof. Maybe I’m actually_ not _ready for that conversation yet._ She blushed, a little harder this time. “Let’s… wait a little longer to talk about… _that_.”

“Mmmm okay.” Yuqi nodded, rolling over and wrapping her arms around Yeonjae, pulling her a little bit closer and kissing her shoulder gently. “I also _noticed_ you use your vibrator sometimes on days when you don’t see me.” She grinned and breathed gently on Yeonjae’s neck, her warm breath making Yeonjae shiver in anticipation. Yuqi slowly began to place wet kisses on her neck mixed with soft bites.

“It’s not that I’m not… _satisfied_ by you when we’re together…” Yuqi was being _very_ distracting. “It’s just that sometimes I…”

“ _Unnie,_ it’s _okay._ ” Yuqi placed a reassuring peck on Yeonjae’s cheek. “I don’t mind if you have fun on your own. I do it too.” She paused. “I’m not sure if I ever thanked you for ummm… introducing me to vibrators, but… _thank you._ ” She snuck her hand into Yeonjae’s, intertwining their fingers. “And you don’t need to feel ashamed of anything you do. It’s all normal and healthy and _sexy_.” Her eyes flared to emphasize this last point.

“Hmmm.” Being reassured about sex-positivity by a girl several years her junior, especially when Yeonjae had always considered herself very open-minded, was an odd feeling. _But I guess she’s more sex-positive_ _than most anyone. It would be hard to be judgy and negative about tasty food._ “About tomorrow, the party… what should I expect?”

“We’ll mostly just be hanging out and drinking and making fun of Miyeon.”

“Mmmm… you should be nice to your unnies.” Yeonjae adopted a mock-scolding frown.

Yuqi sniffed, an exaggerated offended look on her face. “I already helped her have an _amazing_ sex life. That should give me lots of good karma to waste on making fun of her.” Her fingers were drifting lower, tracing down Yeonjae’s chest. “Besides, it’s _totally_ unfair that she and Shu get to have sex like _three times_ a day, and I can only see you a couple of times a week.”

“Hold your horses, horny lady.” Yeonjae apprehended Yuqi’s fingers and placed them firmly back in horny jail. “We’re having a conversation. We can have sex again after.” Yuqi sighed and moped a little bit but waited for Yeonjae to continue. “What should I wear?”

“Ummm… just anything you’re comfortable in is fine. We’re just gonna wear whatever we were already wearing around the apartment. You could come naked too if you want, and I can just look at you the whole time.” Yuqi stared longingly at Yeonjae’s breasts. She furrowed her brow. “But you should wear a coat when you’re coming over so you don’t get cold.”

Yeonjae ignored the second half of Yuqi’s response. “Okay, something comfortable then. What should I bring?”

“You don’t need to bring anything. We’re gonna order delivery food probably and just drink whatever we have in the apartment.” Yuqi’s eyes swept lower over Yeonjae’s body, her gaze taking in the older woman’s toned stomach. “You can bring me another toy that we can play with afterward though.”

“ _Song Yuqi_ , if you don’t stop looking at me like a juicy steak for two minutes I’m gonna put my clothes back on.”

The half-succubus’s gaze shot back up to Yeonjae’s face. “I’ll be good, I promise! No clothes please!”

“Mmph, okay. Just another minute. I have to bring _something_ , so what would Miyeon like?”

“You really shouldn’t bring anything for Miyeon, she’ll be embarrassed. But… maybe… she likes _girly_ drinks, and we probably only have cheap stuff, so maybe if you bring something a little nicer that we can share?”

“Okay, that’s fine. I’ll think of something fruity then.”

Yuqi was looking at her now like a dog waiting to be given permission to eat its treat, and the expression on her face made Yeonjae chuckle. “Okay. We can have sex now.” And in an instant, Yuqi’s mouth and hands had zeroed in on their targets.

_I’m the luckiest human alive._

* * *

“Hello Yeonjae-ssi.” Soyeon opened the door to the apartment when she buzzed. The group’s leader was wearing a brown [onesie](https://scontent-bos3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/150543333_1814499332048152_6229308760689062109_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-bos3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=104&_nc_ohc=IDwwqDKLWo8AX9Ed9Ez&tp=1&oh=c7e96247e76824a02a42c11ba19cf183&oe=6058D03B) with floppy ears, yet somehow still managed an appropriate amount of decorum for welcoming their guest. Fortunately, Yeonjae had opted for a casual and comfortable [look](https://scontent-bos3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/75534707_2412422935677177_6122864462517193992_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-bos3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=109&_nc_ohc=lVCvs0VkJWgAX_-kcn9&tp=1&oh=c401f4b62c28efa673e23f8c9b2d4bd3&oe=605A4C69) herself, which was nicely accented by the slippers she was given upon entry. The other girls were wearing similarly comfortable clothes. Yuqi was wearing a big shirt and sweatpants and Miyeon, the star of the party, was wearing a tank top and loose-fitting pajama pants.

As she stepped inside, Yeonjae spotted Yuqi on the floor. She was rolling around, trying to wrestle something away from Shuhua while Miyeon looked on, half amused and half terrified of the ball of gleeful violence that her girlfriend had turned into. _So this is what Yuqi is like when I’m not around._ Yeonjae smirked. _Let’s have some fun._ “Oh, there’s my Yuqi baby!” Six heads swiveled toward her, and then five of them swiveled back to look at Yuqi, who immediately sprung to her feet and attempted to turn herself back into an adult. Yeonjae had realized over time that Yuqi had… misgivings about that particular nickname, so she had decided to reserve it for special circumstances.

“Uhhh… Hello!” Yuqi bowed awkwardly for some reason, perhaps thinking that it would make her seem more adult-like. “Please come in and…” She looked around. Minnie was sprawled across the couch next to Soojin munching on some chips. A few partly empty beer cans were scattered about the room. “Uhhh… come in,” she finished. Yeonjae obliged, making her way over to hug her girlfriend and plant an enthusiastic kiss on her cheek, which was met with a mixture of gagging noises and cheers from the others.

Yeonjae turned to greet Miyeon, giving the oldest girl a warm smile. “Congratulations!”

Miyeon accepted Yeonjae’s smile and a gentle hug with a shy smile in return. “It’s not quite over yet…” She glanced around. “I still have to survive all of them [making fun of me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2gRaiHklEU) for forever.” She cringed.

“They do it out of love.” Yeonjae patted Miyeon sympathetically. “Oh! I have a present for you. Sort of.” Yeonjae pulled a thermos out of her bag.

“You brought… soup?” Miyeon was attempting to be politely confused.

“Nope. Cocktails. Do you have glasses?”

“Oh!” Miyeon scurried to the kitchen. “We have…” She poked through several cabinets but returned with no cocktail glasses in hand. “We have some… mugs?” She offered Yeonjae a plain white mug with the Cube Entertainment logo on it, smiling sheepishly.

“Hmmm… that’ll work for now, but next time one of your birthdays comes around, you’ll be getting cocktail glasses from me.” She took the mug and set it on the counter, pouring a healthy amount. “Here.” She offered it to Miyeon who took it politely and took a tentative sip.

“Oooh! What is this?”

“It’s called _Sex on the Beach_. I’m surprised you haven’t had it before.” Miyeon yelped a little bit and blushed, and Yeonjae chuckled. “I meant the drink. I’m surprised you haven’t had the drink before.”

“Oh.” Miyeon shuffled her feet a little bit. “It tastes nice.”

“It’s mostly a lot of fruit juice and then some vodka and stuff. Don’t drink too much though,” she said with a grin. “It’s more dangerous than it tastes.”

“Are we having a drink?” Yuqi entered the conversation with a faux-dignified look on her face. She was clearly still overcompensating for the nickname.

“Mhmm, you can have some too.” Yeonjae moved to take another mug to fill, but Shuhua appeared behind her.

“Does our _Yuqi baby_ need a sippy cup so she doesn’t spill any?” A moment later, the two of them were rolling around on the floor again a few feet away, with Yuqi doing her best to strangle the younger woman. Yeonjae’s Mandarin skills were a bit rusty, but she was pretty sure she caught some fairly… _undignified_ words being exchanged. Miyeon looked on, cringing a bit but apparently not very surprised.

“They do this a lot?”

Miyeon nodded. “Yuqi and Shu, Yuqi and Soyeon, sometimes Yuqi and Minnie. It’s worse when she drinks. She doesn’t do it with you when you drink with her?”

“Oh, we do it. We just usually aren’t wearing clothes though.”

Miyeon doubled over in a coughing fit, choking on her drink. Yeonjae patted her on the back and waited for her to regain her breath. “ _Unnie_!” To her credit, Miyeon only looked half-scandalized.

“Sorry,” Yeonjae said, clearly not sorry. “Couldn’t help it.”

Miyeon cringed a bit, but regained her composure after a moment. “You two are an… unusual couple. You’re such an adult and she’s…” Miyeon gestured to the writhing mass on the floor.

Yeonjae chuckled. “You and Shu are quite a combo too.” She lowered her voice, her expression softening, keeping the conversation contained to the two of them. The other five women were distracted and certainly weren’t trying to eavesdrop, but Yeonjae decided to take advantage of the chaos her girlfriend was causing to have a private moment with Miyeon. “I really like Yuqi a lot… I… She’s really important to me.” Because of all the secrecy, Yeonjae really hadn’t had a chance to talk with anyone about her relationship with Yuqi other than Yuqi herself.

Miyeon turned to look at her curiously. “Do you love her?” She spoke quietly, her voice a hum that barely crossed the few feet between them, almost drowned out by the others’ conversations.

Yeonjae took a deep breath. _That’s a bigger question than I thought I’d be answering two minutes into this party._ “Yeah. I think I do. I know it hasn’t been that long, but… she’s really special.”

Miyeon smiled softly. “She’s _something_ , for sure. Have you told her yet?”

Yeonjae shook her head slowly.

“Are you going to?”

“I’m not sure it’s the right time yet.”

“I’m pretty sure she loves you too.” Miyeon’s voice was earnest and gentle.

“Yeah. I think she does. I just… want to wait a little longer.”

“Okay.” Miyeon nodded an understanding nod. “Ummm… Yeonjae-unnie…” There was a look on her face now that Yeonjae couldn’t quite read.

“What’s the matter?”

“Can we talk later? Like, I just have some things I want to ask.”

“Oh, of course! Do you mean… just us?”

“Yeah, if that’s okay?”

“Definitely. Just tell me when.”

A squeal came from the couch, interrupting the moment. “It’s up!” Minnie had the episode cued up on the TV, and there was a mad dash to claim spots on the couch. Minnie took one side, having reserved her seat early. Miyeon was given the seat of honor in the center of the couch, and Soojin sat on her other side. Soyeon plopped down happily on a cushion on the floor at Minnie’s feet. Yuqi and Shuhua were slower to arrive because of their wrestling match, but Shuhua claimed the last available spot on the couch – Miyeon’s lap. Yuqi grumbled a bit but dragged over a comfy chair and offered it to Yeonjae, bowing, then promptly deposited herself on Yeonjae’s lap.

Yeonjae had watched the other episodes earlier that day. It was cute to see Miyeon being cute and romantic, but she didn’t envy Shuhua. She was sure that Shuhua was happy for her girlfriend _in theory_ , but… _I would probably murder anyone who had a romantic part with Yuqi in a drama._ Shuhua seemed to have similar feelings, and Miyeon was clearly aware. She made an exaggerated show of covering Shuhua’s eyes during a particularly romantic scene. “This part is just for _adults_ , Shuhua.” The youngest girl complained and flailed a bit, but clearly wasn’t working very hard to see what was happening on screen.

The episode was brief, and after it finished Miyeon was showered with cheers and hugs and a little bit of teasing. Yeonjae poked Yuqi. “Go bring everyone drinks.” Yuqi whined in protest, not wanting to leave the softness of Yeonjae’s lap, but eventually stood up, fetching a round of mugs full of the cocktail. Each of the girls thanked Yeonjae politely, smiling as Yuqi handed them their mug. _Even Soojin_ , though her smile was harder to read, and she stared for a little bit longer at Yeonjae with narrowed eyes. _What’s your angle, Seo Soojin?_

The seven of them drank together to Miyeon’s success, and then Minnie proposed a toast in Yeonjae’s honor. The woman made a mock-elegant speech about how glad they were that their _little Yuqi_ had finally found someone who cared about her. Yuqi, sitting on Yeonjae’s lap again, started to protest and looked for somebody to fight, but... _Let’s try something._ Yeonjae started thinking in _vivid detail_ what she’d like to do with the girl sitting on her lap, mentally undressing her. It only took a few seconds before Yuqi’s fighting spirit died down and she turned around to look at her girlfriend, eyes wide. _Perfect._ “You don’t want to drink? You don’t like the taste?” Yeonjae said, a flirty look on her face laced with a very clear implicit meaning.

“Taste is nice. Very nice. I like it.” Yuqi gulped her drink and then nodded vigorously.

“I thought so.”

…

An hour, a couple of drinks, and some party games later, most of the women were varying shades of tipsy. Yeonjae had mostly kept her drinking to non-alcoholic drinks because she knew she’d have to drive home, and Yuqi was more than happy to be her _black knight_ and take her drinks for her. Yuqi had argued for a little bit with Minnie about whether she was supposed to be a black _rose_ or a black _knight_ , but eventually she declared that tonight she would be a knight and _that_ was _that_.

Yeonjae had worried about interacting with Soojin, but the secretive succubus seemed determined not to let that become an issue. Soojin paid Yeonjae precisely the minimum amount of attention possible without making it obvious that she was avoiding her. She would acknowledge Yeonjae during drinking games when she needed to, and would act politely and appropriately while doing so, but when opportunities arose for more casual conversation Soojin always found a way to be anywhere other than next to Yeonjae. It clearly wasn’t intended to be _rude_ behavior. Yeonjae didn’t catch any overt anger or hostility from the girl. The succubus was just sending clear signals that _we will not interact tonight._ It wasn’t the attitude Yeonjae had expected, but there didn’t seem to be much she could do about it without causing a scene.

So, Yeonjae rotated her way through chatting with each of the other girls. Yuqi was always at the center of attention _somewhere_ in the room, so it was easy for Yeonjae to sit to the side and chat with someone else while she kept an eye on her adorable but ridiculous girlfriend. Minnie was easy to start a conversation with, and Yeonjae found herself wishing that she’d had more of a chance to get to know the girl. She was sweet, certainly. Her reputation preceded her in that regard. But she had a deep sort of thoughtfulness that came only from a certain kind of empathy, the ability to know another person’s feelings and reflect them back. Yeonjae found herself quickly opening up to the young woman, bonding with her about their insecurities in spending time abroad in a world that sometimes regarded them as nearly as foreign as they often felt. The time flowed by, and it wasn’t until a stumbling Shuhua landed in Minnie’s lap that their conversation was interrupted and Yeonjae realized they’d spent more than half an hour speaking.

With some help from Miyeon, Minnie removed the maknae from her lap and guided Shuhua out the door and toward the apartment they shared. It was apparently the end of the night for Shuhua, but Yeonjae figured Miyeon would be back soon to have the conversation she’d mentioned. Yuqi probably wouldn’t be getting a _meal_ tonight from the two of them, so Yeonjae, being the thoughtful _unnie_ that she was, spent a few moments staring gratuitously at her girlfriend’s butt from across the room, hoping to send her a little snack. Yuqi quickly got the message, sending Yeonjae a flirty look back and wiggling a little bit.

A moment later Miyeon returned, but it appeared that their conversation would be a bit delayed. Yuqi grabbed the eldest girl and brought her into the kitchen, and a small onesie-clad figure appeared on the sofa next to Yeonjae.

“Hi Yeonjae-ssi.” Soyeon’s ability to appear earnest even in the silliest of situations was… _unusual_. “I’m glad you could come to our party. It’s nice to see you together with Yuqi. She behaves much better when you’re nearby.” Yeonjae glanced over toward her girlfriend who was in the kitchen with Miyeon, apparently giving the eldest a lesson in [_latte art_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZABGvnTVZ6I) using a can of whipped cream and a soup bowl filled with beer. She couldn’t hear what Yuqi was saying from where she sat but she could easily imagine – “ _A true artist works with the materials she is given.”_ Miyeon was humoring her despite the fact that more than half of the whipped cream was ending up on the counter.

“Oh… I’m glad I could ummm… help.” _Yuqi is a totally different person when she’s with me. Is it just because she… likes me?_

“Last time I asked you about whether you could provide for Yuqi when she gets older, but I looked you up on Google and it seems like you have a lot of money.”

 _Oh my god this girl is…_ “Ummm…” Yeonjae had no idea how to respond to that.

“I’ve decided it’s okay if you date her.” Soyeon said matter-of-factly. “But if you want to marry her you should tell me first.”

“Uh, thanks? And I’ll uhhh… make sure to keep you informed.”

“Are you satisfying her sexually?”

Yeonjae yelped. _This girl is either absolutely nuts, or she has the best deadpan in the world. Or both._ Fortunately, Miyeon arrived just in time to save Yeonjae from having to respond. “Is it okay if I borrow Yeonjae-unnie for a minute?”

Soyeon nodded sagely. “We can talk about this more later.”

 _Oh my god._ “Umm… nice to talk with you!” Yeonjae quickly removed herself from the couch, following Miyeon to the other side of the room.

“Is it okay if use my room? I just want to talk in private.”

“Sure, that’s fine.” Yeonjae smiled reassuringly.

They walked into the back hallway and down a short way to Miyeon’s room. Miyeon closed the door behind them when they were inside together. Yeonjae wasn’t _particularly_ enthusiastic about sitting on the bed that she was sure that Miyeon had shared with Shuhua many times, but fortunately Miyeon just sat down on the carpeted floor. Yeonjae joined her.

“Thanks for ummm…” Miyeon shrugged awkwardly and waved her hands a bit.

“Of course. I’m always happy to listen. What’s up?”

Miyeon took a deep breath, and suddenly Yeonjae was a little bit worried. _Is she confessing to me? That would be…_ “Shu and I have been talking and… we decided we don’t want to be a secret anymore.”

 _Oh._ “You mean… making your relationship public?”

“Well… first just telling the rest of our group, but… _yeah_. Public after that.”

 _Wow_. Yeonjae hadn’t expected this out of her. She'd been so confused about her own sexuality just a couple of weeks earlier. “That’s really brave of you. Has Shuhua been wanting that for a while?”

“Oh, I was actually the one who convinced _her_.” _Double wow._ “I just… I came out to Yuqi and Soo as bi a few days ago, and they were so supportive about it… and all of a sudden I just felt so much happier being _me_.”

Yeonjae’s heart warmed a little bit. “I’m so happy you feel comfortable telling me too. And in case it wasn’t already obvious…” she gestured her head toward the door, where her girlfriend was likely getting into trouble just down the hallway, “I support you one hundred percent.” She made sure to pause, emphasizing this point, before getting to her next thought. “But… you know that a lot of people won’t be as supportive as us, right?” Miyeon didn’t know it, but the first two people she came out to had literally been _feasting_ on her sexual preferences for ages before she told them.

Miyeon cringed, and Yeonjae squirmed inside a little bit in response. _I probably could’ve put that a bit more delicately._ “Yeah, I know.” Miyeon sighed, looking down at the floor. “But… I think it would matter to a lot of people to see us together like that, and I think those people could help us get through the hate we’d get from everybody else.” She fiddled with a piece of fuzz from the carpet. “I know Shu and I aren’t… the perfect couple. I’m sure if you looked at all the women celebrities in Korea you could probably make up an imaginary couple that people would be more accepting of. But we shouldn’t have to be perfect, right? I love her and she loves me and that should be enough.”

Yeonjae reached for Miyeon’s hand and held it tightly with both of hers. “Of course. I think you’re great together.” She could feel Miyeon let out a heavy breath, releasing some of the tension she’d been holding. _She must have been thinking about those words for a while now._ “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean…” Miyeon pulled her hand back and waved her hands awkwardly. “I know you support us and that means so much to me. I just wanted to tell you first because… it might affect your relationship with Yuqi?”

 _Oh. Right._ Yeonjae wasn’t immediately sure what the public’s response would be. _Will the two of them distract people’s attention away from us? Or will everybody start paying even more attention to everything we do?_ “Thanks… I appreciate you telling me. But Yuqi and I… we’re strong, and we’ll make the decisions about our relationship as they come. You don’t need to worry about us.”

“Okay…” Miyeon nodded slowly. “Thanks, Yeonjae-unnie.” She leaned in and wrapped Yeonjae up in a hug. _Well, now Yuqi’s gonna taste her on me, and she’s also gonna know that I’m kind of turned on by Miyeon’s tank top and pajamas look._ _But..._ She tightened the hug and brought Miyeon in closer. _This is an important hug. Yuqi will understand. I hope._

…

A few minutes later, the two of them reappeared in the living room. The party was winding down. Soojin was nowhere to be seen, and Yuqi was a bit of a tipsy mess, sitting on the couch and arguing with Soyeon about something. When Yeonjae and Miyeon walked in, Yuqi turned her head and huffed a bit at Yeonjae, having apparently already tasted their hug, but she quickly turned back to continue her argument, threatening Soyeon with a pillow.

“I should probably head home, it’s getting late.” Yeonjae walked over to stand over Yuqi and rested her hands on her shoulders, but the half-succubus quickly hopped up from the couch, immediately forgetting her argument with Soyeon, and leaned in to place a sloppy kiss on her girlfriend’s cheek.

“ _Unnieeee_ … don’t leave meeee…” She wrapped her arms around Yeonjae and held on. Yeonjae hugged her for a little bit but eventually pried herself loose and planted a soft peck on Yuqi’s lips.

“I should really go, but I’ll see you soon…?”

Yuqi’s eyes widened, and then a sly grin appeared on her face. “Oh. Yes. _Soon_.”

 _Ummm… that sounds… questionable._ But Yeonjae accepted the goodbye, leaning in to kiss Yuqi again, and then she headed for the door. “Thank you for inviting me, it’s been really nice to see you all again.” She smiled at Miyeon again, her eyes conveying the deeper meaning underneath the words. _Good luck, Miyeon_.

The slow elevator ride down to the first floor offered Yeonjae a minute to think. Miyeon and Shuhua’s decision was a big surprise, and while Yeonjae certainly admired Miyeon’s courage, she couldn’t help but worry that the woman wasn’t prepared for what might happen next. _She’s such a sweet person… is she really ready for so many people to hate her?_ Yeonjae didn’t really follow news about idol scandals very much, so she wasn’t sure whether Miyeon had ever really gotten into much trouble before, but even if she _had_ , it wouldn’t compare to _this_. She pushed the thoughts away, stepping out of the elevator. _The best I can do is be there for her, for whatever she needs._

It was late and dark outside, but the street was a fairly safe one so Yeonjae wasn’t worried about the walk to her car. At least, until she saw a figure dressed from head to toe in dark clothes leaning against the passenger door. The figure was… wiggling?

“ _Yuqi?!_ What are you doing?!” Yeonjae said, as quietly as she could manage.

The half-succubus turned and gave her a sloppy, tipsy grin. “You said you’d see me _soon_. So I’m here.”

“Oh my god, are you crazy?! Anyone could’ve seen you. And how did you get down the stairs so fast?”

“Didn’t take the stairs. Used the fire escape. Soojin taught me how to be _sneaky_.” Yuqi pantomimed sneaking comically. “Were you trying to make me _jealous_ with Miyeon?” Yuqi stepped forward and poked Yeonjae’s nose firmly. “Did you know she wasn’t wearing any underwear?”

 _I did_ not _know that._ “Yuqi, you can’t…”

Yuqi silenced Yeonjae by smushing a finger against her lips. “I’m your black knight. I get a _wish_. And my wish is to go home and have _dessert_ with you.”

“Well…” Yeonjae wasn’t entirely sure whether that particular TV trope was the best idea right now, but… it was starting to sound a little bit appealing.

Yuqi lowered her voice, coming closer. “We can do the _thing_ you’ve been wanting to do.” She winked conspiratorially.

Yeonjae’s eyes widened, and she blushed furiously. “You mean…”

“Yup.” The half-succubus smiled deviously, winking at Yeonjae.

“Fine. Get in the car before anyone sees you.”

* * *

Fifteen minutes later they pulled up in front of Yeonjae’s studio, her loopy-drunk girlfriend having spent the ride making lewd jokes about the two of them and explaining at length all the wonderful things about giraffes. The effect of the night’s drinking seemed to be hitting the girl fully now. Yeonjae made sure that Yuqi was properly disguised before they got out of the car, guiding her quickly into the studio, but the young succubus broke her grasp once they were inside and skipped over to the closet where Yeonjae stored her rhythmic gymnastics equipment. “I’m gonna choreograph a giraffe routine.” She pulled out a ribbon that was far too long for her to use properly and flailed it around. “See, I’m tall.”

Yeonjae rolled her eyes and sighed. _And this is the girl that I’m falling for._ “I’m gonna go upstairs and make you some food so you don’t die of a hangover tomorrow.” Yuqi continued frolicking. The curtains on the windows were all drawn, so at least the two of them were safe from prying eyes for the night.

Yeonjae trudged up the steps, worn out from the night’s socializing. She opened the apartment door and flipped on the lights, starting to slip off her shoes. But then she noticed something strange. A small woman with very fair skin and raven-black hair was seated in one of her chairs. The woman was completely covered by dark clothes, a baseball cap, and a black cloth mask over her nose and mouth, disguised almost the same way as Yuqi was.

“Are you Son Yeonjae?” The voice seemed vaguely familiar, but Yeonjae couldn’t place it. The woman didn’t seem particularly threatening, but…

“Ummm… who are you? And what are you doing in my apartment?”

And in an instant the woman was out of her chair and across the room, one hand pinning Yeonjae against the wall with surprising strength and the other reaching out to rest against Yeonjae’s cheek. Yeonjae felt a surge of nauseating, heavy energy flowing into her from the woman’s palm. “Wait… please…” Yeonjae could feel her body getting heavier, the room starting to blur around her and her senses fogging up, but then a figure appeared in the room, moving supernaturally quickly. “ _Yuqi…_ ” Yeonjae tried to reach out, but she couldn’t muster up the strength to lift her arm. The woman turned to look at Yuqi but it was too late. Yuqi was already on top of her. The half-succubus’s eyes were pools of inky black.

“ _Get away from her!_ ” Yuqi grabbed the woman with both hands and flung her clear across the room. Yeonjae was struggling to stay conscious, but the sharp crack that rang out as the woman’s body struck the wall was loud enough to pierce the fog dulling her senses. The woman crumpled to the floor, unmoving.

And then Yuqi was holding Yeonjae, calling to her, but she was already fading into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wrote this last little scene before most of the rest of the chapter. I thought about making it longer, but it's supposed to be really sudden. Don't worry though, nobody just died, this isn't a killing/dying type of fic.
> 
> It really makes my day whenever I read comments from y'all. I'm so happy to know that people are actually reading this!


	14. Stay calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For a moment, time slowed down. Soojin watched the figure notice her. The woman's eyes, the only part of her visible under her dark clothing, widened at the sight of Soojin hurtling through the air toward her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a little bit of angst in this chapter, but the main thing you should take away from it is that Seo Soojin is a superhero.

It had started with a creeping sense of dread, the feeling that something was _wrong_ , but Soojin just couldn’t put her finger on it. A few days before the party, her mother had sent her one more message than usual in their daily conversation – “ _You can always talk to me if you need any help, okay?_ ” It was a very normal thing for a mother to say, and her mother had said it to her many times before, but the timing was… _just a coincidence? Or…_

As the week drew to a close, Soojin caught herself _focusing_ deeply in certain directions without intending to, but when she gathered herself she found that she didn’t _see_ anything where her attention had been unconsciously drawn. No obsessed-fan stalkers, no paparazzi sneaking photos from the rooftops, no _tastes_ at all. Some part of her wondered if it was just a bit of paranoia from the built-up stress of the past weeks, but she trusted her instincts. Her species’ finely tuned instincts were what had kept them alive for centuries. So, if her instincts were telling her that something was off, she was inclined to believe them.

It wasn’t until the night of the party though that Soojin finally got her first lead. The atmosphere was _distracting_ , to say the least. Shuhua’s feelings toward Miyeon’s acting were… complicated, and the mix of _proud-horny_ and _jealous-horny_ was creating a weird cloud of ketchup mixed with yogurt that Soojin was _not_ a fan of. Plus, Yeonjae had apparently figured out that she could distract Yuqi by firing little _missiles_ of horniness at her, and it looked like Soojin was going to be collateral damage from those missile strikes. They tasted nice, little bites of spicy cinnamon candies, but the context was a bit _unnerving_. _A human figuring out how to tame a succubus just by thinking. Dangerous._ Plus, with Miyeon talking about going public _(I love you unnie and I support you, but my species is kind of in a crisis right now so could we wait a bit on that?)_ and Yeonjae kind of crushing on Miyeon at the same time _(is Yuqi okay with that? Shuhua would carve Yeonjae up and eat her liver if she ever found out)_ , it was really hard to focus.

So, Soojin employed her well-trained skills to engage in exactly zero potentially confrontational conversations so she could pay as much attention to what was going on around them as possible. And her efforts paid off. Near the end of the party, when Yuqi was drunkenly arguing with Soyeon about something ridiculous and Miyeon and Yeonjae were having a _moment_ , Soojin saw just the barest hint of a flash of a mask-clad face on a ledge on the side of the building next to theirs, quickly sinking back into a shadow within a shadow. It wouldn’t have been the first time that a particularly ambitious pervert had tried to capture photos of idols through their apartment windows, but something about this was _different_. It took a moment, the realization buried deep inside her focus, but eventually it hit her. The mysterious flicker _had no taste_.

 _Oh. There’s another succubus watching us._ And there was only one explanation for why that would be. _They know about Yuqi._

_Fuck._

Another thought, which she might not have put together had she not been on guard already, stuck in her head. If whoever was watching them from the next building was at all _sensitive_ to what was happening inside their apartment, they would have noticed Yeonjae’s _peculiar_ behavior toward Yuqi.

_Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck._

Soojin cursed the world for ruining her plans for Yuqi. _We need more time, Yuqi’s just starting to learn… this is too much for her._ She knew she had to act, and she knew it had to be _now._ She headed toward her room, doing her best not to make any moves that could reveal that she’d _noticed_. She grabbed a dark coat and a mask from her closet to match her dark pants and slipped her phone into a pocket and zipped it closed. She shut the door to her room behind her and opened the window. In an instant she was climbing up the side of their apartment to the roof, all of her senses focused on climbing quickly and quietly. The multi-story drop-off below her was unnerving. Despite her impressive physical abilities, even _she_ couldn’t resist gravity, and if she happened to slip, the landing would not be a smooth one. But the task before her was far too important for her to be distracted by _details_ like those.

Her plan was designed to give her an edge, at least at first. Soojin knew that the figure would have as much trouble _tasting_ her as she had in tasting _it_ earlier, so she might be able to get close without being noticed. The figure probably wasn’t looking too closely at their rooftop, likely _focusing_ more on the events happening _inside_ the apartment, not _on top of it_.

She crept across the rooftop of her building, focusing her energy to distribute her weight to walk as quietly as possible. Any shuffle, creak, or scrape of a pebble could give her away, even if it were far too quiet for a human to hear. As she neared the edge, she got down on her hands and knees and crawled forward until she could just barely see the ledge on the other building. _And there she is._ The figure was a small woman with black hair, wearing black clothes, a baseball cap, and a black mask over her nose and mouth. Tucked deep within the shadows, the only thing that gave her away was a sliver of moonlight reflected on the fair skin around her eyes. _Got you._ The woman didn’t seem to have seen Soojin yet. Her _focus_ was trained purely on the windows of their apartment.

 _So how do I get over there?_ Soojin’s gaze swept across the building’s face. The gap between the buildings was far, much too far to simply jump from one rooftop to the other. _But…_ There was a thin, rickety fire escape ladder winding down the side of their building, and a metal external fire escape stairway across the way on the other building, with maybe twelve feet between them. _This is a really bad idea, Soojin…_ But her mind was already made up. _I can do this. I’ve done worse._ She _hadn’t_ done worse, not exactly, maybe with the exception of her _driving lesson_ speeding through the streets of Seoul with Yeonjae earlier that month, but she tried not to focus on the sheer stupidity of what she was about to do. She slowly, carefully made her way backwards toward the center of the roof, giving herself room to speed up before the leap. She knew that the instant she started running, her target would know exactly where she was.

She stood, for a moment, on the center of the rooftop, letting the bitter February wind blow through her hair. _Song Yuqi, you’re going to owe me meals for life after this._ And then she started sprinting, accelerating faster than humanly possible, reaching the edge of the roof in an instant. And then she leapt.

For a moment, time slowed down. Soojin watched the figure notice her. The woman's eyes, the only part of her visible under her dark clothing, widened at the sight of Soojin hurtling through the air toward her. And then she was up and running, and Soojin slammed into the cage on the side of the fire escape, her body contorted by the impact. It was only by sheer force of will and consumption of significant _energy_ that Soojin was able to hold on at all and not plummet backward to the ground multiple stories below. She pulled herself inside the stairwell as quickly as she could manage, her head still ringing from the impact, and then she sprinted after the woman up the stairs. _Up? Why is she going up?_

It didn’t take long for Soojin to get her answer. The woman was sprinting full speed away from her across the roof not even pausing to look back at her pursuer. And then she reached the edge of the roof and she jumped.

_Are you fucking kidding me?_

The next rooftop over was a little bit lower, and the woman landed with grace on her feet at the edge, quickly running away again at full speed. The prospect of jumping off a roof for the second time in her life so shortly after the first did _not_ appeal to Soojin, but she’d already committed to the chase. So she ran and jumped. This time, as she was flying through the air, Soojin realized something very important. _She’s a better jumper than me. Fuck._ Soojin crashed on to the next roof, just barely making it past the edge and on to the concrete, rolling over and over with the impact until she settled to a stop. _Ow._ She forced herself to stand, only catching a fleeting glimpse of the black blur as it disappeared over the edge of the building. _Did she just…_ Soojin rushed to the edge, watching the woman expertly descend toward the street by swinging down from windowsills and conveniently placed architectural features. _No way can I match that._ Soojin looked around for an alternative, spotting a flagpole in front of the building. _People slide down poles, right?_ And a moment later, Soojin found out that while you _can_ slide down a flagpole, it isn’t nearly as easy as it looks. She hit the ground with a thud, managing to stay upright this time, catching the woman sprinting away down the sidewalk away from her. And then they were off again.

Soojin was an adult succubus, well-trained and almost in her prime, but the woman she was chasing was just plain _faster_. She ran like she’d been born on these streets, climbing over fences and ducking into back alleys that Soojin hadn’t ever even noticed. Every moment she ran, something inside Soojin was pushing her to call out to the woman. _Why are you running from me? Shouldn’t we be on the same side?_ But she knew she had to stay quiet. There was no chance that the woman was going to stop running, much less answer her questions, and drawing attention to them was a _bad_ idea.

Twenty minutes of sprinting later, the woman disappeared into an alley, and when Soojin arrived at the corner and looked in, there was nobody there. She looked up and down the walls of the buildings, searching for any sign that the woman had tried to climb her way out. She walked the alley end-to-end, putting her focus into finding any traces that she could, but there was nothing to be found. The woman was just gone.

_“Fuck!”_

Soojin allowed herself to say her first word out loud since she’d left their apartment building, screaming it into the alley in frustration. Her whole body ached and her heart was racing and she was out of breath and… _where the hell even am I?_ She turned around and walked out of the alley, finally pausing to take in her surroundings in full detail. It was a nice neighborhood, mostly residential with a few shops, but not much traffic this late on a Saturday night. There was a park across the street, and Soojin slowly walked over to sit on a bench and collect herself. She tried to self-assess, but _everything_ hurt. With some careful prodding and a lot of wincing, she determined with fair confidence that she hadn’t broken any bones any of the three times she’d flung herself off a rooftop that night.

Her phone, however, was looking a little worse for the wear. She’d almost forgotten that she’d put it in her pocket. The screen was shattered, likely from one of the several times her body had hit concrete that night with significant force. Fortunately, it still appeared to be functional. _That’s nice, I’ll actually be able to get home without walking for hours._

But then something else caught her attention – a familiar car winding its way down the street. _Yeonjae? What are you doing here?_ Soojin almost stood up and waved to get the woman’s attention, but the car was past her before she could decide what to do. _Was that…_ There were _two_ figures inside the car. _Yuqi?_ _What are they… Oh._ Yeonjae’s studio was near here. _They must be_ _going back to Yeonjae’s secret apartment._ Yeonjae’s secret apartment. Yeonjae’s. Secret. Apartment.

_Oh. Oh no._

Soojin’s body had been pushed to the limit already, and her muscles screamed in protest as she tried to force them back into a run. _Come on Soo, faster._ But she wasn’t nearly fast enough to catch up with Yeonjae’s car. She’d just have to hope that somehow her fears weren’t all coming true at once.

A few minutes later, Soojin hobble-ran into sight of Yeonjae’s studio. Everything _looked_ okay. Yeonjae’s car was parked out in front in the expected spot. But then a figure emerged from the front door – the woman Soojin had been chasing all night. She now looked much worse than before. She was running, but Soojin could tell that she was in tremendous pain.

And suddenly Soojin faced a choice. She could run after the woman, and even though she was exhausted it seemed like this time she might be able to catch up, but if she did that then it might be many long minutes before she could get back to the studio and help with… whatever had just happened. The answer was a frustrating one, but it was obvious. _Yuqi needs my help._

She caught the woman’s eyes as she ran past her. _Next time. Next time you won’t be so lucky._ And then she turned and ran into the studio.

…

Yuqi was kneeling over Yeonjae on the side of the studio apartment’s living room closest to the door. Soojin could feel enormous _energy_ built up in the girl. Her head snapped toward Soojin when the elder succubus entered, her eyes black with rage. “ _You! You did this!”_ Yuqi knocked Soojin on to the floor with ease and pinned her to the ground. Soojin struggled, but whatever was happening with Yuqi was far too strong for her limited energy reserves to resist.

“Yuqi _please_ ,” she gasped, her aching body roaring in pain as Yuqi pressed her into the floor. “I didn’t know this was going to happen, I promise. I’m here to _help_.”

“ _No! You_ told _them! They knew about us!”_

“No, I didn’t, I promise! I didn’t tell them anything!” Her muscles were starting to give in. She was helpless. Trapped by her groupmate. _How did I mess this up so much?_

Yuqi raised her arm as if readying to strike, but then she paused. Tears of frustration were welling up in Soojin’s eyes, and she wasn’t even moving to protect herself. Slowly, the inky blackness faded from Yuqi’s eyes. And suddenly she fell backwards, staring in horror at Soojin, shocked by what she had done and what she had been about to do. “ _Soo_ … I… I didn’t mean to… I’m so sorry.” Soojin slowly, painfully got up and fell into Yuqi’s arms, doing her best to hug her. The girl was limp in her grasp. “ _Please_ , Soo… _help_ _her._ She’s hurt.”

“I’m here now Yuqi, it’ll be okay.” Soojin looked over at Yeonjae, eyeing her closely for the first time. She didn’t seem to have any injuries, but she was sprawled on the floor, unmoving. She looked _drained_. “Tell me what happened. _Everything_.”

“I was… she…” Yuqi was shaking. She couldn’t put together a sentence.

“ _Focus_ , Yuqi. I need you here now. I need to know what happened.”

Yuqi closed her eyes, trying to control her panic. “There was a _woman_ … she’s…” Yuqi turned to point toward the other side of the room, at the floor beneath a huge hole in the plaster of the wall. Yuqi’s face wrinkled in confusion. “She was… I… she was just…”

“There was a woman who was hurting Yeonjae, right?” Yuqi nodded. “You fought her, but she got away.” Yuqi nodded again, but more hesitantly this time. She glanced back at the hole in the wall. “What was she doing to Yeonjae? Tell me exactly.”

“She…” Yuqi cringed, closing her eyes. “She was holding her down and… touching her face… and Yeonjae couldn’t move and then she…”

Soojin stood up and moved toward Yeonjae. “Can I…? I won’t hurt her, I promise.” Yuqi hesitated for a moment but nodded mutely.

It only took Soojin a moment to figure out what had happened. “She tried to charm Yeonjae, but… _too much_. More than… more than we’re supposed to. Yeonjae’s going to need medical help.”

Yuqi stood up and moved tentatively toward them. “What… what do I do?”

Soojin sighed. “ _Real_ medical help, Yuqi. She needs a hospital.”

“Soo, _no_ , she’s okay. She’ll be fine, she just needs… she needs to rest.”

But Soojin shook her head, trying to be as gentle as possible. “I don’t think her life is in danger Yuqi, but… she needs real medical care. It isn’t safe for her to stay like… _this_. Things could go… wrong.”

Yuqi collapsed on the floor in front of Yeonjae, too shocked and afraid for tears. No words came out of her mouth.

“We should call manager oppa,” Soojin prompted, and Yuqi stared at her for a moment but then nodded. One of the open secrets of the idol world was their companies’ ability to get them medical treatment _quietly_. It didn’t always work. Sometimes there were leaks, and sometimes an idol’s absence became too conspicuous to go unexplained. But there had been many medical emergencies over the years that would have caused damage to idols’ reputations that their companies were able to hide from the public. Fortunately, none of her group members had ever needed to use those services, but the protocols were in place. Yeonjae wasn’t an idol, but Soojin figured that, given all of the circumstances, this was an appropriate time to use them. Soojin took out her damaged phone and managed to navigate to the manager’s contact to call him. “Oppa? There’s a medical emergency, and we need to get to the hospital… quietly.” A pause. “Yes, as soon as possible.” She gave the address and then hung up. “He’s coming. He knows what to do.”

Yuqi was holding on to Yeonjae’s hand now. To any external observer, it would look like the woman was just sleeping deeply. Her breath was regular and even. But Soojin knew that there was more going on inside her.

“It’ll be okay, Yuqi. We’ll get to the hospital soon, and the doctors will be able to take care of her.” Soojin drew Yuqi into a hug from behind, holding the girl tightly.

“Why… why did they do this? How did they know?” A thought struck her. “And how did you get here so quickly?”

Soojin sighed. “I… didn’t think they’d do anything like this. And I didn’t think they knew, at least not until tonight. I saw that woman watching us during the party near the end, a little before you left. I tried to follow her, but… she was faster than me.”

Yuqi seemed to notice Soojin’s battered state for the first time, bruises already starting to form all over her. “Are you…” Her brows furrowed in concern.

“I’m okay. I just had to… it was hard to follow her.” No need to tell Yuqi about her multiple brushes with death that evening, at least right now.

“Soo, I… When I got here and saw her on Yeonjae, I… everything was… it all… I _hurt_ her.”

Soojin glanced down at Yuqi’s fists, but neither of them seemed hurt. _Did she… kick the wall? Where did the hole come from?_ “Did you fight? Did she hurt you?”

“No, I… I just threw her off Yeonjae and…” She looked over at the wall again.

“You… _threw_ her?” Yuqi nodded. “All the way over…?” Soojin motioned to the wall. Yuqi nodded again, cringing a little bit. _Is that… possible?_

“I heard her… _break_ , Soo. I thought I _killed_ her. But then… she just… she’s _gone_.”

 _Yuqi threw an adult woman fifteen feet with enough force to make a hole in the wall? Maybe even enough to break her bones? And then the woman got up and ran away?_ Soojin was starting to think that there were some things about her species that even _she_ didn’t know. Fortunately, Yuqi looked like she regretted hurting the woman. _This would all be far worse if she didn’t._ “You didn’t hurt her _too_ much. She’ll be fine. We’ll worry about the strength thing later, okay? For now, just _breathe._ ”

“Who was she? She’s one of… _us_ , right?”

Soojin nodded. “Yes, she’s one of us, but I didn’t recognize her. And I know all of _us_ that are here in Seoul.” _At least I thought I did._

“So they… know about me now?”

“Yeah. I guess they do. I’m sorry, Yuqi.”

“Then I guess it’s my turn to know about _them_.” Soojin started to respond, but she could see the fire in the girl’s eyes. Yuqi wasn’t asking Soojin to tell her. She was making a statement. So, Soojin just sat with her for a while in silence, holding her while she held on to Yeonjae.

…

They arrived at the hospital about half an hour later, pulling up to the covered rear entrance. The manager had rushed to the studio, carefully carrying Yeonjae down the stairs and setting her down in the back seat of the van. He was quiet, trained for this moment to ask only the necessary questions and to forget everything he’d seen.

_“Is there anything I need to know?”_

_Soojin shook her head. “No drugs, no men. It was just an accident.”_

He probably had several other things to ask, namely why Soojin appeared bruised and battered, but he kept his mouth shut. He knew what his job was tonight.

They took the private elevator up to a floor near the top of the building where several private rooms were kept separated from the rest of the wards. A doctor met them immediately as the elevator doors opened, a kind-looking but businesslike woman in her late 30s or early 40s. Her badge read _Dr. Chae_. She motioned to an open door. “Set her down in here.” And in a moment, Yeonjae was laid down in a hospital bed and a nurse had attached her to various instruments that Soojin couldn’t name. “Her vitals are stable,” the doctor observed. Soojin and Yuqi both seemed to read the doctor’s lack of alarm as a good sign. “What happened to her?”

At this question, their manager excused himself. “I’ll wait outside.”

Yuqi started to answer the doctor’s question, but Soojin cut her off. “We were drinking, and she had a reaction to some supplement she took. I don’t know what it was. She said something about _stress_ and _hormones_.” Seeing the doctor’s skeptical look, she continued. “She fainted and she hit her head on the wall.” It was obviously far from the truth, but Soojin hoped there was enough there to satisfy the doctor and to point her in the right direction for treatment. The gist of the idea was right, anyway – Yeonjae had been overwhelmed by a hormone that wouldn’t normally have any reason to be in her body in such a dose.

“Can you give me any information about the supplement? What color it was? Did you recognize any words on the bottle?”

Soojin shook her head, “I didn’t see it, she went to the bathroom to take it.”

“How long ago did it happen?”

“Maybe half an hour or forty-five minutes ago?” Soojin looked at Yuqi for confirmation and the younger girl nodded mutely.

“Any vomiting? Trouble breathing?”

“No, she’s just been… passed out like that.”

“Hmmm…” The doctor sighed. “We’ll run some tests.” She spoke a set of instructions to the nurse, who nodded and hurried away. “We’re going to have to bring some equipment in this room because we can’t bring her to the public wards for tests, so it’ll be easier if you wait outside.” Yuqi started to interject, distressed by the thought of leaving Yeonjae, but the doctor anticipated her objection. “We’ll be monitoring her closely all the time, and you can sit right outside in the hall. There are curtains there that you can shut for privacy.” She motioned to the door, a gentle but firm look on her face. _She’s done this before._ Soojin cringed, trying not to think of how routine this all must seem for the doctor.

Soojin took Yuqi’s hand and tugged her toward the door, speaking under her breath. “It’s okay Yuqi, we’ll be right outside. And we can hear everything happening in here anyway. If you’re scared, just listen to her heartbeat.” Yuqi nodded reluctantly and followed her outside. They sat in a couple of chairs a few feet away. The manager was waiting in the hallway, but he had the good sense to stand far enough away so that he couldn’t hear their whispered conversation. This whole end of the floor was blocked off by black privacy curtains anyway, so even if other _special guests_ came in, they wouldn’t see Soojin and Yuqi. 

“Breathe with me, Yuqi.” Soojin gripped Yuqi’s hand firmly, forcing her attention. She stared in the girl’s eyes and slowly took a deep breath in and then out. Yuqi’s breathing was shaky, but she did her best to follow. _In…_ and _out_. _In…_ and out. “ _Listen_.” Soojin nodded her head toward the curtains. The nurse was conveying the doctor’s instructions to other staff working on the floor. Soojin didn’t understand many of the words the nurse was saying, and she guessed that Yuqi didn’t either, but the nurse’s tone was comforting. “She’s not yelling. There aren’t alarms going off. Nobody’s running. It’s okay to breathe now.” Slowly, Soojin felt the panic in Yuqi fade slightly. “Okay?” Yuqi nodded and took another deep breath, this time on her own.

“ _Thanks_ , unnie.”

They sat in silence for a while, but then a thought struck Soojin. “How are… _you?_ After what you did. Are you _drained?_ ”

Yuqi sat for a moment, thinking. “A little bit. I don’t really know what happened, it was all over so quick. I still have energy left though. What about you?”

“I’ll survive.” She was _definitely_ drained, but she wasn’t in immediate danger of running out of energy. She’d probably eventually need to leave to find a _snack_ , but…

Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden rush of noise coming from the other side of the curtain. It was muffled, but both Soojin and Yuqi quickly focused their senses.

_“—woman, late twenties, coming up now. Hit by a car, barely conscious. Possible broken ribs. Prepare room two.”_

_Apparently, someone else is having a bad night too._ Yuqi and Soojin followed the flurry of activity with concern and a bit of morbid curiosity. They sensed the elevator opening, and could tell from the noise and vibrations that a gurney was being wheeled out by two staff members, with a man who was probably a manager following closely behind, but…

The two succubi looked at each other in confusion. _There’s nobody on the gurney?_

_Oh. The woman from before. She’s here._

For a moment, Soojin almost laughed. _‘Hit by a car’ is the excuse she made for getting in a fight with Yuqi?_ But then she saw rage building on Yuqi’s face and had to scramble to grab her and pull her back down into the chair. “Not here, Yuqi,” she said firmly. “I’m not gonna let you commit murder in a hospital.” _Or anywhere, actually._ Yuqi glared at her but sat back down. “We’ll deal with her, but for now we just need to wait, okay?”

“Hmmm.” The look in Yuqi’s eyes was terrifying, but not quite _murderous_.

_Good enough for now._

…

The two of them sat in the hallway and _listened_ to the doctors and nurses talk to each other about both of the night’s patients. Yeonjae’s test results had been passed between several doctors, and none of them seemed to have a good explanation. _That’s a good thing, I guess. If they_ did _have an explanation we’d be in trouble._ Despite their confusion, none of the doctors seemed to be alarmed. About three hours after they had originally arrived, the first doctor they had met, Dr. Chae, came back to give them an update.

“It seems like she had a strong reaction to whatever… _supplement_ … she took.” The doctor clearly didn’t believe the story, but she continued on anyway. “She had extremely high levels of certain hormones, and her body got overwhelmed. That’s probably why she passed out. The hormone levels are decreasing now though, and it looks like she might be back to normal levels by sometime tomorrow.” She paused, giving the two girls a stern look. "Whatever this _thing_ was that she took... don't mess around with it again, okay? It's dangerous." Soojin and Yuqi nodded mutely. _Don't worry, Yuqi,_ _I'll do everything I can to make sure we never have to go through this again._

The doctor’s words weren’t a surprise to either succubus. They’d been _listening_ to the conversations about Yeonjae evolve as they sat and waited. But it was still a relief to hear the words spoken out loud to them. Soojin felt Yuqi lean into her and relax a bit.

“We’re going to want to keep her here for a couple of days to monitor her and to make sure her levels stay stable. There’s a good chance she’ll wake up tomorrow though.”

 _A good chance?_ Soojin was hoping for something more certain than that.

“If you want to stay the night, there’s a cot in the closet that we can set up for you. It’s small, but…” She shrugged.

“Can we go in and see her now?” Yuqi spoke softly and hesitantly.

“You can. She won’t be very responsive, but you can be with her if you’d like.” She bowed slightly and moved to walk away. “If you need anything, you can press this button here and someone will come. Okay?” She indicated a panel on the wall.

Soojin nodded and thanked the woman, and Yuqi followed quickly with shaky but sincere thanks. Once she was gone, Soojin walked over to update the manager. “They think she’ll be okay, but she needs to stay here for a couple of days. Yuqi and I are going to sleep in the room. We’ll probably stay until she wakes up.” _What else does he need to know?_ Soojin tried to think like CUBE for a moment. “I don’t think she was teaching any classes tomorrow, so nobody will need to think of an excuse for why she won’t be there. If… _when_ she wakes up tomorrow, she can arrange things for the next day.”

The manager just nodded, thinking. After a moment, he left to make a call. When Soojin turned around, she saw Yuqi already slowly walking into Yeonjae’s room. _It’ll be okay, Yuqi. We got lucky this time._

…

Two hours later, Yuqi was asleep on the cot near Yeonjae. Yuqi had wanted to put the cot right up next to Yeonjae’s hospital bed so she could hold her hand while she slept, and as _adorable_ as Soojin thought that was, she reminded Yuqi that a doctor or a nurse might need that space to check on Yeonjae during the night. So, Yuqi settled for a few feet away.

Soojin, however, had another task to attend to. Though Yuqi’s attention had been focused on Yeonjae ever since she’d been allowed to see her, Soojin was _focused_ elsewhere on the floor. The nurses had been gossiping about the other patient ever since she’d arrived, and it was easy for Soojin to pick up snippets.

_“Just a bruised rib. Amazing that she didn’t break anything.”_

“— _so lucky that she won’t need surgery.”_

_“I wish I could look that good after getting hit by a car…”_

With Yuqi now sleeping soundly and Yeonjae being taken care of, Soojin decided that it was time to finish her _pursuit_ from earlier that night. She exited the curtained-off area, eliciting surprised glances from some of the staff shuffling by, and moved toward the other room. She parted the curtain in front of the woman’s door, and –”

“Excuse me, miss! You can’t go in there!”

A man was standing in front of the door, likely the woman’s manager.

A faint voice called from inside the room. “… it’s okay, let her in.” The man looked surprised and a little bit reluctant, but he opened the door for Soojin and stepped aside.

Soojin walked in and shut the door behind her, and suddenly she was face-to-face with the famous chilling stare of Miss Irene Bae. “Hello, Soojin.”

“Hello.” Soojin bowed with appropriate respect for her… _senior?_ Irene was… definitely not one of her kin that she’d been told about. 

“Are you hurt?” Irene’s gaze wasn’t _warm_ , but it was far from hostile. _She looks… professional?_

“I’m fine. I’ll just be sore for a while. I heard them say you just had a bruised rib?” As much as Soojin wanted to jump on the woman and pry as much information out of her as possible, she had a cover to maintain.

“I’ll heal quickly.”

There was a brief silence. Soojin stared at Irene, trying to size her up, but then the woman started to speak almost imperceptibly softly. “Ask what you want to ask, Soojin.” She was speaking much too quietly for the man standing outside the door to hear. Perhaps even too quietly for a normal human to hear from inside the room.

“Were you trying to kill her?” Soojin matched the woman’s volume, barely even whispering.

Irene cringed. “No. I don’t do that. I was making her _forget_.”

Soojin nodded. That was one of the possibilities she’d considered. Their _charm_ power was crude, but… “How much will she lose?”

“I don’t know. Yuqi… _stopped_ me before I finished. She could have all of her memories still, or…” Irene left that thought unfinished. “Yuqi is much stronger than we anticipated.”

 _No shit._ “What was your plan for dealing with Yuqi?”

“I was going to bring her in for training as soon as I finished with Yeonjae. There were plans in place for explaining why she disappeared.”

 _A perfectly neat and orderly plan. Typical._ “And you didn’t think to ask me before you did all this?”

“I wasn’t told to.” Irene’s face softened very slightly for a moment. “I’m sorry. Those were my orders.”

As much as part of Soojin wanted to scream at the woman, her rational side knew that none of this was her choice. Irene was simply executing her part of a plan that had been orchestrated by others. They had probably considered whether Soojin had a role to play but had decided that she didn’t need to know.

_Assholes. Fucking assholes._

“When Yuqi wakes up, I’m going to bring her in here and you’re going to explain everything to her. To _us._ ”

Irene sighed. “You know I can’t do that, Soojin.”

Soojin _did_ know this, and she was also fairly certain that there was nothing she could do to _make_ Irene talk. The woman was an absolute portrait of professionalism. In only a few minutes of even being aware that the woman was a succubus, Soojin had already figured out that Irene was fully loyal to the cause. _Our cause._ “Fine. I’ll call for a council.”

Irene raised her eyebrows, surprised. “That’s…” She paused. “You need three of us to call for that.”

“I have two. I’ll find a third.”

“Two?”

“Yuqi and me.”

“ _Oh._ ” Irene considered this. Soojin wasn’t sure whether Yuqi’s request would be counted, and apparently Irene wasn’t sure either. “Soojin… you’ll have your chance to make these decisions when you’re older, but it’s not your time yet. Or mine.”

“So what am I supposed to do if they make the wrong decisions? And what if those decisions hurt people I care about? Am I supposed to just sit here and watch?” Soojin’s voice was rising in anger and frustration, but she held back as best she could. “I’m not gonna do that. I’m going to call for a council and make them understand.”

“Hmmm…” Irene seemed to be thinking, staring off into space, but no response came. Eventually she turned to Soojin and fixed her gaze. “By noon tomorrow I’ll be out of here. I won’t get any orders to hurt anyone in a hospital. They wouldn’t tell me to do that. But when Yuqi leaves or after Yeonjae is released, I can’t promise anything. Whatever you’re going to do, do it quickly.” And then she turned away again, signaling that the conversation was over.

“I hope you’re able to get some rest, _Irene-ssi_ ,” Soojin said in a normal voice, allowing the manager outside to hear. She waited for a response, but none came, so she excused herself and left.

…

It was almost dawn when Soojin finally fell asleep. She let Yuqi sleep on the cot, dragging a chair inside Yeonjae’s room for herself and doing her best to curl up on it. She laid her head against the wall using her jacket as a pillow. It was far from comfortable, but somehow she managed to get a few hours of sleep. At some point she woke up to Yuqi lifting her up and placing her on the cot, but the girl was gentle enough that Soojin quickly fell back asleep in the warm, soft blankets.

When she finally woke up of her own accord, the clock in the room read _11:45 AM_. Yuqi was sitting in the chair next to Yeonjae’s bed, holding the woman’s hand. She hadn’t woken up yet.

Soojin groaned, feeling more than a little bit energy-hung-over from her late-night exploits. Yuqi noticed and turned and gave Soojin a sad half-smile. “You were drooling in your sleep.” She nodded toward the pillow, which had a distinct drool mark.

“Thanks for pointing that out.” Soojin rubbed her eyes and stretched a bit. “Any change?”

Yuqi shook her head. “Still the same.” Soojin could tell that the girl was anxious, stressed from watching her girlfriend maybe for hours for any hint of improvement.

“The doctor said it might take a while. You should try not to worry too much. I’m sure they’ve been checking on her regularly, right?” Yuqi nodded.

At that moment, after a brief knock on the door, Dr. Chae walked in to do exactly _that_. She looked at the various readings on the monitors, wrote herself a note, and turned to Yuqi. She started to ask a question, but then something distracted her. She turned back to Yeonjae. _Did she…_ And suddenly Yeonjae made a small noise. A groan. In an instant, Yuqi was on her feet, leaning over the woman and staring intently. “ _Yeonjae?_ Can you hear me?”

“Unhhh.” Yeonjae reached her hands up to cover her face and curled up her body a little bit. “What are… where… _Yuqi_?”

_Oh thank god. She remembers._

“I’m here, unnie. You’re in the hospital.”

“What… happened…?” She opened her eyes and tried to focus, squinting from the glare of the hospital lights.

Tears were starting to well up in Yuqi’s eyes and she was sniffling a little bit. “I was so _scared_ unnie.”

“Awww… babe. Come here. Are you okay?” _Of course Yeonjae’s the one asking Yuqi if she’s okay, not the other way around. What a weird human._ Yeonjae slowly pulled Yuqi into a weak hug, sitting up as best as she could and placing a soft kiss on Yuqi’s cheek. For a moment, Soojin panicked, thinking that they’d revealed too much about their relationship, but Dr. Chae noticed Soojin’s expression and caught her eye. She shrugged, the expression on her face clearly communicating that she felt that it was none of her business.

“I’d like to leave you all alone for a bit, but is it alright if I check a few things first?” Yeonjae nodded and Yuqi reluctantly pulled away, still holding Yeonjae’s hand. Dr. Chae asked a series of standard questions about how Yeonjae felt, briefly trying to question her about the _supplement_ she’d supposedly taken that had caused all of this, but Yeonjae just shook her head, confused, and said she didn’t remember. _Either she’s a good actress or she actually doesn’t remember last night._

After a moment the doctor left and the three of them were finally left alone together. Yuqi and Yeonjae spent a minute staring lovingly at each other and kissing, but eventually their heads gravitated toward Soojin, waiting for her to speak.

 _I guess this one’s on me now. I never really wanted to be a leader, but…_ “Alright, no more waiting. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't a Red Velvet fic, but succubus Irene was one of the first succubus [fics](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18032924/chapters/42610928) I read on here so I had to pay tribute to that a little bit. She's definitely a very different type of succubus in this world though. In case it matters, she's not evil, she just has complicated things going on her own life too.
> 
> As always, I love reading all of your comments and I hope you all send a little bit of love to Soojin too.


	15. My love is you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuhua had many ways of working out her jealousy in bed, and Miyeon couldn’t help but wonder which _punishment_ Shuhua would choose for her when they got home. _Stop it, Miyeon! Don’t think dirty thoughts in a hospital. There’s people everywhere. Doctors and nurses and… Actually Shu would look really cute with one of those doctor coats. She can have one of those stethoscope things and…_ Miyeon forced herself to put an end to that _very inappropriate_ train of thoughts, though she allowed herself one last moment to wonder whether she could get away with stealing a doctor’s coat and bringing it home for… _reasons._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little interlude of MiShu horny-sweet-fluff before we get into the final arc. Things are tough right now in the world, but I hope this helps just a tiny bit.

The night of the party was the first night in a long time that Miyeon had gone to sleep all by herself in their apartment. Minnie had taken Shuhua back to the other apartment earlier in the night when the youngest had gotten too drunk to stay standing on her own, and Yuqi and Soojin had disappeared to _god-knows-where_. _Again._ Miyeon tossed and turned until the early hours of the morning, missing the relaxing hum of Shuhua’s soft breathing and the warm, safe feelings that having Soojin nearby brought her. _And… Yuqi’s a good friend too._

It was even more unnerving when she shuffled out of her bedroom late the next morning to find her apartment still empty. She knocked softly on Soojin and Yuqi’s doors, checking if they were still sleeping, but upon receiving no response she slowly inched each door open only to be met with empty beds in both rooms. She fired off a text to Soojin first, asking if she was with Yuqi and where they were but, after receiving no immediate response, followed up five minutes later with a text to Yuqi asking the same thing. Knowing that she’d just wear a groove in the floor if she kept pacing, she set her phone down to get ready for the day.

Half an hour later, as she was browsing through her closet picking out something to wear, her phone buzzed. But it wasn’t the answer she’d been looking for. It was a text from Minnie simply saying, “ _Come over?”_ So Miyeon threw on a pair of sweatpants and a tank-top and shuffled her way over to the other apartment.

For a moment when she first entered, the thing that caught Miyeon’s eye was the stack of pancakes sitting on the table that someone, _probably Minnie_ , had made. But the delicious-looking ( _but_ _untouched?_ ) fluffy cakes didn’t hold her attention for long. Three of her groupmates sat around the table with long faces, looking worn and distressed by something apparently worse than just a hangover. Minnie had a worried, anxious look on her face, and Soyeon had adopted a leaderly pose that was uncharacteristically serious for this hour on a Sunday. Shuhua looked to be battling a headache but was being quiet about it, which was never a good sign. Miyeon silently pulled out the fourth chair and sat down. _Did they find out about me and Shu? Is Soyeon… mad?_ She looked at Shuhua for reassurance, but the youngest’s gaze back didn’t offer any comfort.

“Where’s Soojin and Yuqi? They didn’t respond to my texts.” It was an obvious question, but Miyeon still felt nervous breaking the silence.

“Yeonjae is in the hospital.” Soyeon spoke evenly and matter-of-factly. “Soojin and Yuqi are with her.”

 _What? How? She was just…_ “What happened? Is she… okay?”

“She had a… reaction to something. Soojin-unnie said it was a supplement she took. She just woke up a few minutes ago.”

“ _Oh_.” It stung Miyeon a little bit that Soojin was texting Soyeon but not responding to her. _She’s probably busy, right?_ “Is it… _bad_?”

“The doctors are keeping her there for a couple of days, but they think she’ll be okay. She doesn’t remember all of last night though.”

 _Does that mean…_ Miyeon thought back to the private conversation she’d had with Yeonjae in her room about her and Shuhua… _coming out together._ _Does she not remember that?_ “Should we…?” Miyeon looked around for help, but none of the others seemed to have an answer. “We should go visit her, right?” She knew that none of the other three girls was as close with Yeonjae as she was, though she and Minnie seemed to be getting along well, but she felt like they still ought to show their support as best they could.

“Manager oppa said we shouldn’t all go. She’s in one of the private rooms and they don’t want too many guests. Soojin-unnie said that maybe two of us could come today and the other two if Yeonjae is still there tomorrow night.”

“I’ll go.” The words came out by themselves, so suddenly that Minnie and Soyeon looked a little bit surprised. “And… maybe Shu can come with me?”

Soyeon nodded. “Okay. We’ll get some things for you to bring.” Minnie looked sad, probably wishing she could go, but for some reason she didn’t speak up to claim the spot that Miyeon had volunteered Shuhua for.

“So… she just took a supplement and had to go to the hospital?” It seemed so pointlessly random to Miyeon. Yeonaje was in peak physical condition. If she’d had to guess, Miyeon would’ve imagined that Yeonjae was most likely to end up in the hospital for overworking herself, not for a… _nutritional mistake?_ It seemed so out of character for Yeonjae to put something foreign or dangerous into her body. _She barely even drank last night._

“Yes, that’s what Soojin-unnie said.”

Miyeon felt Shuhua’s hand creeping shyly into her own under the table. She squeezed it, and Shuhua seemed to relax a bit. The youngest finally spoke. “We’ll make sure to tell her that you guys hope she gets better soon.”

Minnie stood up. “I’m going to start cooking. You two should… get ready.”

The mood in the room was… _forced?_ _Uncertain? Afraid?_ Their group hadn’t really dealt with serious medical things before. They’d had injuries, of course, and seemingly endless stress-overdoses during promotion periods, but nothing quite like this. A woman, _our friend_ , who they’d drank with and laughed with just a night ago was in the hospital. Miyeon almost felt like it was her fault somehow, like the burden of the idol world was too much for Yeonjae. _That’s a dumb thought. She’s strong. But…_ She shook it off and stood up. “Let’s get dressed, Shu.”

…

An hour and a half later, Shuhua was leaning her head on Miyeon’s shoulder in the back seat of their manager’s car. Ordinarily he might have questioned their close physical proximity, but this time he probably just assumed (correctly) that they were sad. Shuhua had been silent for longer than Miyeon could remember her ever having been before. She didn’t dare hold Shuhua’s hand so publicly, but she was doing her best to project comforting vibes to the girl through her shoulder.

They pulled up to the covered entrance at the rear of the hospital, and Miyeon stepped out of the car and extended a hand to help Shuhua. Their manager informed them he’d be back and waiting in an hour, and then pulled out.

“Do we just…” Shuhua spoke for the first time, motioning to the door, and Miyeon nodded. _I guess so?_ _I don’t really know the protocol for this, but…_

Miyeon pushed open the door to reveal a small room lit by cold, fluorescent lights and an elevator door on the opposite wall. She tentatively pressed the call button, and they waited in silence for the elevator to arrive. The doors opened quietly. There were only two buttons inside, one for the ground floor (where Miyeon assumed they were now) and one for the 9th floor. She pushed the second one and it lit up, the elevator starting to whir upward gently but with surprising speed.

The ninth floor was warm and welcoming, a contrast from the hidden rear entrance. _I guess rich people probably spend a lot of time here._ The walls and lighting and decoration reminded Miyeon of an executive office suite high up in an office building. Expensive and a little bit showoff-y, but functional.

A woman at a small reception desk looked up at them when they entered, then glanced back and forth between them and her computer screen a few times. “Room one, down the hallway there and behind the curtains.” _Does she have our pictures?_ It was an odd way to receive visitors, but everything about this place seemed odd and a little bit _surreal_. Miyeon and Shuhua nodded respectfully to the woman and walked toward where she had pointed. Miyeon looked back a couple of times as they were walking to make sure they weren’t headed somewhere they weren’t supposed to be, but the woman made no objection to their path. _It all just seems so… businesslike. Where are the crying kids and doctors rushing everywhere?_

Yeonjae’s room had no windows but somehow still an ample amount of what felt like natural light. Yeonjae was sitting propped up on the bed, pale but smiling. Her smile widened when Miyeon and Shuhua entered, but she quickly moved to apologize. “Oh! You didn’t have to come all the way here!” Yuqi was looking back and forth between Miyeon and Shuhua. _Why does she look disappointed? And… hungry?_ Soojin was sitting silently, almost blending into the corner, but her expression softened a bit when she looked at Miyeon and Shuhua.

“Are you feeling okay, unnie?” Miyeon scurried over to stand next to Yeonjae’s bed opposite Yuqi, leaning close. She attempted to inspect Yeonjae but realized she didn’t really know what she was looking for. She almost reached out to feel Yeonjae’s forehead to check for a fever, but… _is this a fever kind of thing? And… if I want to check her temperature I can just… look at the monitor._ Yeonjae was still hooked up to a slew of medical machines, her hospital gown doing little to hide the various tubes and wires. _I should do a medical drama. Maybe I’ll learn what some of these things do._

Yeonjae smiled weakly. “I’m alright. Just a little tired.” _How is she so pretty even in a hospital gown?_

Miyeon nudged Shuhua, who was standing awkwardly next to her. She shuffled forward. “We brought food.” She thrust the bag she was holding at Yeonjae, both of her hands extended. “Oh!” Her eyes suddenly widened nervously. “Are you allowed to eat?”

Yeonjae laughed. “Yes, I can eat. I might not have too much of an appetite though.” She shrugged apologetically. Yuqi was holding her hand as they spoke. _It’s sweet how attached the two of them are._

“Maybe you two want to eat some too? You’ve been here a long time. You must be hungry.” Yuqi and Soojin looked at each other for a moment, conveying a private thought that Miyeon didn’t understand. _When did those two get so close?_ Soojin stepped forward a little bit out of her corner, and Yuqi shuffled to make room for her beside the bed. With the light clearer on Soojin’s skin, Miyeon noticed… _are those bruises?_ “Soo, what—” But Soojin just cut her off with a look, silently mouthing “ _later_.” Yuqi watched their exchange but didn’t interject. _And why are they communicating so much without talking today? Is there a secret I don’t know about?_ This was all starting to make Miyeon weirdly uncomfortable. Even Shuhua wasn’t helping to lighten the mood much. She seemed bothered. _Is she afraid of hospitals? Or just shaken up by Yeonjae getting hurt?_

Fortunately, Yeonjae knew how to hold a room together. “You two can pull up the cot to sit on,” she nodded toward Soojin and Yuqi. “And you two can pull up those chairs. My bed has a little table arm thing on it somewhere…” She leaned over to look at the side of the bed, but Yuqi quickly stepped in to pull out the arm-table and fold it over the top of the bed. They all sat down, seated at slightly different height levels with Yeonjae propped up highest on the hospital bed. Shuhua wordlessly unwrapped the bundle and laid out the dishes. Yeonjae looked at Yuqi for a moment. “Can you…” she motioned toward her back and leaned forward a bit, and Yuqi popped up to rearrange the pillows so that Yeonjae could sit up to eat. She went to sit back down, but Yeonjae caught her sleeve, leaning over to give her a small peck on the cheek.

Miyeon watched their interactions with fascination. _Yuqi seems so… peaceful when she’s around Yeonjae. Not the lazy kind of peaceful. The devoted kind. Are Shu and I like that?_ Miyeon looked over at her girlfriend, who looked very solemn and serious, which was unusual enough to be almost worrying. _I can’t exactly ask her if she’s doing okay when she’s sitting in someone else’s hospital room, but…_ Miyeon snaked an arm around Shuhua’s waist, trying to be reassuring, and Shuhua leaned over a little bit to wiggle into her embrace. Miyeon’s fingers found their way to rest on the soft exposed skin under Shuhua’s shirt just above her hip, tracing soft circles, and she felt the girl relax a bit. For some reason both Yuqi and Soojin perked up a bit at this same moment. _Must be the food_? Miyeon watched happily as Yeonjae took a first bite and then Soojin and Yuqi followed.

After a minute, Yeonjae paused. “I know you probably have questions,” she said, addressing Miyeon and Shuhua, “but I don’t really remember much so I can’t really help.”

“Do you… remember all of the party…?” The question had been on Miyeon’s mind since Soyeon had first told her about Yeonjae that afternoon. _Do you remember what we talked about?_

Yeonjae smiled a small warm smile and nodded. “Yes, I remember all of the party.” Miyeon thought she caught Yuqi scowling at her for a moment, but whatever the emotion was it disappeared quickly. “After I left is when things get fuzzy.”

“I’m glad… I hope you had fun…” The words felt silly coming out of her mouth, and she regretted them immediately. _Miyeon Pabo! You don’t tell a girl in the hospital that you hope she had fun at your dumb little party right before she almost maybe died._

“I did. It’s really nice to get to know all of you better.”

 _Of course she has a graceful answer for my dumb question._ Shuhua was starting to squirm a bit, and Miyeon could tell that she didn’t like being left out of the conversation. Miyeon hadn’t _technically_ asked Shuhua if she could talk to Yeonjae about their… _coming out_. She’d just mentioned that it might be nice to have someone like Yeonjae supporting them, and Shuhua had agreed. That was enough, right? Miyeon pulled Shuhua a little closer, giving her a small kiss on the side of her head, and Shuhua seemed to accept the gesture as sufficient compensation for being left out. Miyeon knew she might _pay for it_ later, but that was just something to look forward to. Shuhua had many ways of working out her jealousy in bed, and Miyeon couldn’t help but wonder which _punishment_ Shuhua would choose for her when they got home. _Stop it, Miyeon! Don’t think dirty thoughts in a hospital. There’s people everywhere. Doctors and nurses and… Actually Shu would look really cute with one of those doctor coats. She can have one of those stethoscope things and…_ Miyeon forced herself to put an end to that _very inappropriate_ train of thoughts, though she allowed herself one last moment to wonder whether she could get away with stealing a doctor’s coat and bringing it home for… _reasons_.

Miyeon refocused, looking up and centering herself back in the conversation. Yeonjae had asked her something. “I’m sorry?” Yeonjae repeated the question, looking a little bit amused. She’d asked whether Soyeon and Minnie had ended up getting to sleep alright _because of course she would ask that_. “I think so. Minnie went to sleep early and Soyeon went to bed right after you left. After you… all left?” Miyeon frowned. _How exactly did Soojin get involved in this anyway?_ None of the three of them offered any explanation in response, but for some reason Yuqi and Soojin were suddenly looking a little bit less worn out. _I’m glad the food helped. I’ll tell Minnie they appreciated her cooking._

“Did you guys get to sleep enough?” Shuhua entered the conversation, though uncharacteristically timidly. “That little bed doesn’t look very comfortable. Maybe you should go home for a bit and sleep, and we can stay here?”

Miyeon frowned, about to say something about how their manager would be back soon to pick them up, but Yuqi interjected. “I think… I’m gonna stay with Yeonjae, but maybe you can take Soo back with you? She could use the rest.”

“Yuqi, I don’t think you should be here alone,” Soojin said, speaking softly but surprisingly deliberately.

“Don’t worry, unnie. I promise I won’t go anywhere. Yeonjae and I will be… _safe_ here, and you can come back as soon as you’re rested up if you really want to.” _Why is Yuqi treating Soojin like she has to be here all the time? I didn’t even think Soojin liked Yeonjae that much. What am I missing?_

Soojin sighed, clearly exhausted but trying to keep a strong face. “Fine. Just make sure you get some rest and… _recharge_ a little bit, okay? And call me right away if anything happens.” _Shouldn’t Yuqi be calling a doctor? Or manager oppa? Or… Soyeon?_

For some reason Yeonjae seemed to think Soojin’s comment was funny, though Miyeon didn’t see any humor in it at all. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that Yuqi _recharges_ plenty as soon as I get some more energy back.” _Is that a sex joke? Why is Yeonjae making sex jokes right now?_ Miyeon’s thoughts drifted again, and she found herself wondering whether doctors ever _punished_ people. An image of _Dr. Yeh Shuhua_ ordering her to bend over suddenly occupied her thoughts.

“Or if this keeps up we can all just stay right here,” Yuqi quipped, sending a look toward Soojin. Miyeon didn’t get the joke, but for some reason it made her glad to see that apparently Yeonjae hadn’t gotten it this time either.

“Ummm… well… the manager is coming back soon, but…”

“I’ll come with you.” Soojin had made up her mind. Shuhua wiggled a bit and smiled at Soojin, and the older girl smiled back, the first smile they’d seen from her so far.

…

As Miyeon lay next to Shuhua a couple of hours later in a Zen-like haze of satisfaction, she couldn’t help but be a little bit proud of the sweaty, wet mess they’d made of the bedsheets. For some reason, Shuhua hadn’t been in the mood to dole out much _punishment_ (though Miyeon knew that there was probably a red, handprint-shaped mark on her rear anyway just from Shuhua’s regular possessive habits), so the sex was a little bit more tender than usual. Shuhua seemed almost a little bit shy when she peeked her head up from between Miyeon’s thighs. She didn’t need to ask Miyeon whether it was _good_. That much was obvious from the moans and the gasps and the shudders. The look in Shuhua’s eyes seemed to be much more about wanting to know that Miyeon really _needed_ her. Miyeon realized somewhere between her second and third orgasms that she’d be the big spoon this time in their post-sex cuddles.

“Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?” Miyeon asked afterward, kissing Shuhua’s shoulder gently from behind. She could practically see the thoughts swirling and churning inside her girlfriend’s head.

“It’s just…” Shuhua trailed off, but Miyeon felt relieved anyway. Shuhua wanted to talk, she just needed a minute to find the words. _Much better than when we used to pretend nothing was wrong until we blew up at each other_. “I’m scared, unnie.”

 _Oh. That makes sense._ “Me too. If you don’t want to go through with it though, I understand. We can wait.” She gave Shuhua a soft peck and added, “As long as I have you, I’ll be happy.”

“I… I want to do it. I want to tell people about us, and I want them to know you’re mine. But…”

_But? Is she having second thoughts?_

“But the world is scary.”

 _Oh._ Somehow seeing Yeonjae in the hospital, even though it had nothing to do with coming out, had made the world scarier for Shuhua. Miyeon pulled her in tighter. “Yeah, it is.” She loved this position, arms wrapped protectively around Shuhua’s soft (but fit) stomach and her eyes peeking over her shoulder. _We fit perfectly together. Two soft naked spoon-people._ The position offered easy access to Shuhua’s delightfully sensitive nipples, but Miyeon knew that now wasn’t the time. She waited patiently, knowing that Shuhua had more to say.

“You know I love you unnie, more than anything. It’s just that… I like what we have, and I don’t know if I want to be… a _symbol_. Or a gay icon or something. The part of me that’s public is… _easier_.”

 _It’s easier for both of us._ Being in the public eye had its challenges, for sure, having to be alert and extremely careful not to make any _mistakes_ , and always needing to make sure to look pretty and cute and respectful and energetic (but not too energetic)… But she knew that if they _came out_ together, they’d need to be _perfect_.

Shuhua wasn’t quite done yet. “But I hate having to hide, and I don’t think we should have to. And maybe we can make it easier for others to be able to be themselves too.” _Like Yuqi and Yeonjae someday?_

“I’ll wait as long as you need to decide. I promise I’ll be okay if you don’t want to.” _For now, at least?_ _What if she isn’t ready for years? What if she wants to wait until our contract is up? What if she wants to wait until we’re like, 40?_ Miyeon closed her eyes, trying to push away the thoughts. _That’s a long time from now. There’s no need to think about that yet._

“I want to tell Soyeon-unnie and Minnie-unnie about us. I don’t want to be a secret from them.”

“Oh. Okay, we can do that.”

“Can we do it today?”

“You mean… talk to them? About us?” She was just repeating exactly what Shuhua had just said, but Miyeon needed to hear it again. _That was a fast turn._

“Yeah.”

“Um… okay. We can do that.” A confusing kind of proud-anxious-enamored horniness was welling up inside Miyeon. She slid a one hand upward from Shuhua’s stomach and one hand down. “But… can we do a little more of _this_ first?”

Shuhua flopped around to face her, smiling a smug, cute smile. “You can’t resist me?” It was more of a statement than a question, really. She stuck out her tongue then leaned in to kiss Miyeon, giving her lower lip a playful bite. She started to trail kisses down Miyeon’s neck, moving lower, but Miyeon stopped her and lifted her head gently back up.

“Nope. It’s my turn to make my _girlfriend_ feel good.”

…

“We’re dating.”

 _Wow, that was quick._ Miyeon had asked Shuhua if they should tell Minnie and Soyeon in any particular way, but the maknae hadn’t really given a clear response. _I guess she just wanted to get it out right away._

Minnie and Soyeon both looked at Miyeon and then Shuhua, who was sitting on Miyeon’s lap, and then at each other, a confused expression on their faces. _Oh no, are they upset?_

“Oh.” Minnie finally said, looking at Soyeon. “They thought we didn’t know.”

 _Eeep!_ Miyeon yelped. “You knew?!”

Minnie nodded, amused. “Yeah, for like, _ages_. You’re bi, and Shu is… gay?” Shuhua nodded awkwardly, eyes wide.

“Wait, how did you know I’m bi?” Miyeon didn’t even know that about _herself_ until quite recently.

“Well…” Minnie shrugged. “There was a thing with your phone...”

“My… phone?”

“Remember when we were in the dressing room for our shoot a couple of weeks ago and my phone ran out of battery so you let me use yours?” _Oh. Shit._ “Well, I was looking up why goats look so weird, and I started to type ‘why do goats have rectangles in their eyes’ but then your search history auto-filled and…” _Oh god no._ “It was like…” Minnie pursed scrunched up her face, trying to remember. Miyeon yelped and tried to leap out of her seat to stop Minnie, but Shuhua refused to get off her lap, a _very_ amused grin on her face. “Well first it was ‘what does bisexual mean’, and then I think it was ‘why are people bisexual’. And then maybe ‘who are famous bisexual people’? So I looked around a little more and…”

“You did _not_!” Miyeon tried frantically to get out from under Shuhua, but the maknae wasn’t budging.

“I found ‘can I be both straight and bisexual’, which is an… interesting question. Never really thought about that one before. And then it was ‘can I be bisexual if I only date one girl’. I’m not sure if that’s romantic or internalized biphobia. Maybe some of both. There were a few more, but those were the best ones. I think at that point I was pretty sure you were bi,” Minnie concluded matter-of-factly. “Oh!” Her face lit up. “There was ‘test to see if I’m bisexual’ too. That’s kind of a weird way to search for porn, but…”

“Oh my god you sneaky… _snoop_!” _There has to be a better word for this… treachery._

Minnie just shrugged. “All I wanted was to know about goat eyes. It’s your fault for giving me your phone without clearing your search history.”

“Also you guys are really loud when you have sex.” For some reason Soyeon had chosen this moment to contribute to the conversation. “Thank you for mostly doing it in the other apartment though.” This time both Shuhua and Miyeon yelped. “Was there anything else you wanted to tell us?”

“Ummmm…” Miyeon looked at Shuhua, a questioning look in her eyes.

“We… we want to come out… publicly. Not right now, but like… sometime.” Miyeon could feel Shuhua squirming on her lap as she spoke, struggling to get the words out.

“Oh.” Miyeon watched Soyeon transfer to _leader-mode_ in real time, her eyes narrowing and staring off into space for a moment. “You should be allowed to do that. We should support you. Do you know how you want to do it?”

 _That’s… a positive reaction?_ Miyeon spoke tentatively, answering the question. “We… haven’t really decided all the details yet. And it might not be soon. But we wanted to tell you.”

“We’ll help you if you… ummm… need anything?” Minnie didn’t seem to be quite sure what the right words were, but she was trying.

Shuhua leapt off of Miyeon’s lap and wrapped Soyeon up in a hug that the leader was clearly not prepared for. “Thank you unnies! You’re the _best_.” Miyeon got up and reluctantly hugged Minnie, giving the woman a side-eye for her earlier betrayal but quickly giving in to Minnie's sweet softness. _I have the best friends ever._

…

Miyeon knocked softly on Soojin’s door, hoping to check in on her. She heard a mumble from inside that she assumed was an invitation, so she slowly opened the door and walked into the dark room. Soojin was lying in bed, curled up into a ball, peering at Miyeon. “Oh, I can come back later if…”

“Mmmmh… no, come in. I want you here.” Soojin patted the bed next to her, smiling a drowsy smile with her eyes half-open.

“Are you feeling any better? Did you eat anything?”

“I ate a _lot_. Soup and cake and ice cream and bananas.” She sighed and made a contented grunt.

 _Ummm I don’t think we have any cake... she must still be half asleep?_ “Well, that’s… good.”

“I love you and Shu. I’m going to take care of you forever.” Soojin wrapped herself around Miyeon a little bit and closed her eyes. “No matter what, I’ll make sure you’re always delicious together.”

_Does she think she’s dreaming right now? Is she dreaming about… eating us?_

Miyeon heard footsteps and saw Shuhua peering into the room from the hallway. Soojin’s hand shot out to reach for her, the rest of her body unmoving and her eyes still closed.

Miyeon responded to a curious look from Shuhua with a nod and a small smile, and the youngest girl entered slowly, tiptoeing across the carpet. “She’s a little bit asleep, and it’s super cute,” Miyeon whispered to Shuhua.

Soojin wriggled a bit to make room for the two of them in the small bed. “ _Here,_ ” she commanded, tugging Shuhua down on to the bed with the two of them. Shuhua giggled and let herself be pulled in. " _Stay._ "

The idea of semi-spooning with both of them together made Miyeon feel a little awkward, but something about Soojin being so soft and drowsy and oddly _possessive_ was too adorable for either of them to resist. Miyeon gently wrapped Soojin up tighter in the blankets, and she and Shuhua laid down with the Soojin-burrito between them, passing mushy looks back and forth. “Go to sleep now, Soo,” Miyeon finally said softly. “We’ll be here when you wake up.” She waited until she could hear Shuhua's soft snores mixing with slow, rhythmic breathing from Soojin, and then she finally closed her eyes and let herself drift off to sleep.


	16. I'm in your maze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So… Yeonjae and I just… wait?” 
> 
> “No. You prepare. We’ll have to leave the hospital tomorrow, and as soon as you two are out of here, you’re targets. We need a plan.”
> 
> For the first time in a while, Yuqi smiled, and it wasn’t a smile that Soojin had seen from the girl before. It wasn’t sappy, or cocky, or goofy. It was _fire_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been writing out the outlines for the last chapters so I've been thinking a lot about endings. I don't usually do this, but [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VYZFJR7zgw) is a music recommendation for this chapter. Soojin thinks a lot in this one about keeping secrets and making mistakes, and also about what a happy ending looks like for her and the people she cares about and whether she has it inside herself to be the hero they need her to be.
> 
> There's a bit of violence/fighting in this chapter. Nobody dies and it's not super graphic, but if you're not here for that you can skip the parts in between the star * marks

Soojin woke up in the softest, gentlest way she could remember, in the middle of a sleeping Miyeon-Shuhua sandwich.

_Stay here forever so I can protect you._

A new feeling that Soojin didn’t quite recognize had started to wind its way through her thoughts. It had quietly appeared a few weeks earlier and had stayed mostly hidden in the back of her mind, but it was slowly becoming more present. It wasn’t a new _taste_ , and it definitely wasn’t anything sexual. It was just… Soojin puzzled over the feeling for a while, trying to fit it into her list of things a succubus can feel. It definitely wasn’t like what Yuqi felt for Yeonjae, that aggressive kind of _love_. _Yuqi wants a little figurine of Yeonjae in a blazer on top of a wedding cake._ _I just want to be…_

But she couldn’t find the word. _Hmmm._

She lay there for a while in the dark, letting her senses wash over the two sleeping women. She checked them over as she always did, making sure that nothing was too out of place. In public, Miyeon was always the one who got more compliments about being sweet and pure, but in private… _Shu is a little angel when she sleeps_. _Even when she snores_. _The two of them work so well together_. Miyeon was happy to accommodate her girlfriend’s frequent need to be the center of attention and even to give her extra opportunities to shine. Miyeon certainly wasn’t _shy_ , and she didn’t mind it when she was in the spotlight on her own, but she was happy to sit behind her girlfriend with her arms wrapped around her (when the situation permitted) and let her be the focus.

There was another reason, quieter but just as important, that they fit well together – Shuhua needed a responsible unnie to watch over her, and Miyeon had really begun to grow into that role. Somehow, she’d managed to learn how to give Shuhua the love and attention she needed without getting overwhelmed by the girl’s energy and enthusiasm, and Shuhua was learning how to listen to her when she said something that needed to be heard.

 _Oh, and also there’s the part where they’re like, ridiculously sexually compatible_.

Soojin was starting to realize that a tiny, guilty part of her was sad that the two girls’ relationship was doing well. _What use am I as a gardener when my flowers are blooming so beautifully without my help?_ Her heart ached at the thought.

 _I… want them to need me_.

Eventually, _reluctantly_ , Soojin knew she had to get up. She weaved her way gently out of the bed, being careful not to wake either of them. She slowly lifted Shuhua’s arm to rest on Miyeon’s and gently poked her until she instinctively pulled herself closer to Miyeon, closing the gap between them and filling up the space Soojin had left. She grabbed a post-it and a marker from her desk.

_Going back to the hospital to be with Y+Y. Thank you for staying with me._

\- 수

She placed it on the door of her room just above the handle so they’d be sure to see it when they woke up, and tiptoed out into the dark apartment.

_Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon. You’ll barely even realize I was gone._

* * *

Soojin knew that she could easily make it to the hospital on her own, but she wasn’t in the mood to get herself in any more trouble with the company. So, an hour later, she stepped out of a company car, thanking the driver, and into the hospital’s back entrance. The desk attendant on the ninth floor recognized her face and welcomed her with a polite smile.

Soojin wasn’t surprised to find Yuqi curled up asleep on the cot beside Yeonjae’s bed when she walked in the room. _She’s had a long day._ It was early in the evening now, and Yuqi had probably only had a few hours of sleep the night before. The lights in the room were dimmed, enough for a doctor or nurse to see to check on Yeonjae but not enough to bother the sleeping half-succubus.

Yeonjae’s eyes opened slowly, silently following the older succubus as she entered. “ _So,_ ” she said quietly.

Soojin sat in one of the chairs on the opposite side of the bed, where Miyeon and Shuhua had sat earlier that day. There was still a faint lemonade aftertaste from Miyeon and Shuhua’s ridiculous (and predictable) horny thoughts about each other. “ _So?_ ” she asked in response, though it wasn’t really a question.

“Do I owe you a thank you?” Yeonjae didn’t need to specify what for. The context was obvious. _Should I thank you for getting me to the hospital after one of_ your kind _attacked me?_

“I… don’t know.” It was an honest reply. She really wasn’t sure. _I did it for Yuqi, not you._

“Hmmm.” Yeonjae was looking her over. “I can never tell what you’re thinking, and that makes it really hard to trust you.”

“I’m not sure if you should.” _I only trust_ you _because you’re way too fucking perfect for me not to._

“Oh?”

“I haven’t decided yet if I’m on your side.”

Yeonjae tilted her head, thinking. “Whose side are you on then?”

“I… don’t know,” she said again. Soojin had known that she’d eventually have to have this conversation with Yeonjae. She’d managed to mostly avoid the woman for more than two weeks now, even managing to escape any real conversation for the whole party the previous night. But she still didn’t have the answers to the questions that she knew Yeonjae would ask.

Yeonjae nodded. “That’s what I thought.” She paused. “I don’t know how I would feel if I were you. You care about your friends and you care about your family and your… _species_. But right now, you can’t figure out how to protect both sides.”

Soojin watched Yeonjae, letting her continue. _She’s just stating the obvious, but she still doesn’t know the half of it._

“I’m the odd piece out though. I don’t belong to either side, and without me, everything becomes a lot simpler.”

Soojin narrowed her eyes. _Where is she going with this?_

“If Yuqi had never met me you could’ve kept her a secret until she was ready, and nobody would’ve gotten hurt. And you wouldn’t have to worry about whether someday in the future I’d put the people you care about in danger.”

“It…” Soojin stared down at her hands, trying to find an excuse to look away. _Once again, Yeonjae is a fountain of unnie wisdom._ “Yes. It would all be a lot simpler without you.” _It would be a lot simpler if you weren’t such a fucking saint._

Yeonjae nodded. “To you, this would all have been a lot easier if she’d never loved a _human_ at all.”

“No!” Soojin almost shouted, having to hold herself back to calm down. “She… she can love whoever she wants to love.”

Yeonjae jumped a bit at Soojin’s sudden outburst, though she was trying to hide it. _Is she… afraid of me? What exactly does she think I would do to her?_ But now the look on Yeonjae’s face was shifting toward something else.

“Are you in love with someone you’re not supposed to be, Soojin?” She spoke softly, gently.

“I don’t have that choice.” _Love is for people who have a choice._

“It’s not really about choice, Soojin,” she said, a hint of a sad smile in her eyes. “Sometimes we fall in love with inconvenient people.”

“ _You_ do. I don’t. I’m not like you and Yuqi.” Soojin suddenly felt an unreasonable irritation with Yeonjae. _What does she know about… us?_ She gave Yeonjae a hard stare. “You don’t have any idea what’s expected of me.”

“Hmmm.” Yeonjae didn’t try to argue. “Answer one more question for me? Honestly?”

Soojin didn’t respond, but she didn’t break her gaze either.

“The woman from last night. She was trying to… get rid of my memories with Yuqi, right? And for a while you weren’t sure if it worked or not. Tell me… which were you hoping for? That I’d remember her or that I’d forget?”

The question stung. _Fuck you, Yeonjae._ It was fair for Yeonjae to ask, and Soojin knew the answer to the question, but it meant something that she wasn’t ready to admit yet – that any possibility of an easy way out of all of this was gone. _Why can’t you give me a reason to hate you?_

But, as she should have expected, Yeonjae offered her an escape. “You don’t have to answer me right now, but don’t take too long to figure it out.” She propped herself up on the pillow with a little bit of difficulty, her fatigue evident in the way she struggled to sit up. She stared at Soojin for a minute, her brows furrowed, looking deep into Soojin’s eyes. If Soojin didn’t know better, she’d think Yeonjae was _focusing_ on her, trying to read her. Finally, Yeonjae leaned forward and brought her face even with Soojin’s. “I’ll fight with everything I have for Yuqi, but I can’t be the leader this time. It needs to be you, one way or another.”

A flash of anger tore through Soojin’s chest. “Why do you always have the answer to everything? It’s so fucking _annoying_.” Soojin spat the last word out bitterly, but Yeonjae just leaned back against the pillows and smiled sadly.

“Being older just means I’ve messed up a lot more times than you have. That’s all. Your elders… human or not, we’re just trying not to make the same mistakes over again.”

“Oh yeah? What are the mistakes you’ve made that compare to having responsibility for your _species_?”

“None. And I’ll probably never have the chance. But I’ve made a lot of mistakes because I didn’t really listen to how I was feeling, and that’s why I’m saying all this to you. I’m just hoping that whatever you really feel is something that’s going to help you protect Yuqi. That’s all I want.”

“Even if that means taking you away from her?” _Even if it means standing and watching while you lose every memory of her that you have?_

“Do you think that protecting her means making that choice for her?”

“You keep talking about choices like I have any. Do you know how many choices I’ve been allowed to make for myself in my life? Fucking _zero_.”

“Ah.” The look in Yeonjae’s eyes… wasn’t _pity_ , exactly. It was just… _sad._ “I’m… I’m sorry, Soojin. I’m sorry that your whole life has been about staying alive and staying secret. I’m sorry that you’ve never been allowed to be selfish. I’m sorry that you’ve had to know things about the world that you weren’t ready to know. And… I’m sorry that your first real decision has to be this one.”

For a while, Soojin was quiet. She looked at Yeonjae. Not a _focusing_ look, just a look. “Nobody’s ever said that to me before.”

“Said what?”

“… I’m sorry.”

“Oh.”

“… I don’t want to be a hero, Yeonjae.”

“I know.”

They sat together in silence, the dim light in the room heavy with their feelings, and for the first time in a while, Soojin let herself stop thinking and just _be_.

…

The ninth floor had very few surveillance cameras for being at the heart of a hospital, a fact that could be interpreted generously to mean that the hospital cared about the privacy of its secret patients. More realistically, the hospital didn’t want to have any records of its patients’ private conversations that they’d have to give up in a lawsuit.

Soojin was reluctant at first to speak about important secrets in such an open, busy space, but she and Yuqi both did extensive sweeps of the room for any hidden cameras or microphones and neither found anything. Still, they spoke quietly and chose their words carefully.

“We need three of… _us_ ,” Soojin indicated herself and Yuqi, “to call for a… meeting.” Yuqi needed to have at least a general idea of how the process for calling a council worked, and at this point Yeonjae might as well too. Soojin didn’t really want to say the word _council_ though. “I don’t know if you’ll count,” she said, looking at Yuqi. “You’re not… they might say that you can’t _call_ until after you’re trained. But we can try.”

“What happens with three?” Yeonjae asked quietly.

Soojin shrugged. “Then the… _meeting_ … happens.”

“There’s no… discussion or anything? To see if it’s an important enough issue?”

“If there are three, then it’s important enough. No three of us would ever agree to call if it were for something unimportant.”

“So…” Yuqi ventured. “Who’s gonna be the third? Someone from your… family?”

“I don’t know yet. But… not my family.” The reminder of the message her mother had sent her that afternoon made her cringe. _I’m sorry Soojin, but you need to let the elders work this out. They know what’s best. You’ll get your chance to make these decisions when you’re older_. It was the same thing almost word for word that Irene had said to her the night before.

“So… someone else in Seoul then?”

“I… I don’t know, Yuqi. I’m working on it.”

“Will you know soon? We can’t take too long…”

Yuqi was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. “She’s trying her best. She’ll tell us if she needs help.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Yuqi looked down at the floor, appropriately chastised. “Do I… need to do anything? Like write my name in blood?”

Soojin allowed herself a wry smile. “Signing things in blood leaves extra DNA around. When we have three of us, I just send a message. There’s no need for you to confirm, none of us would ever lie about having three.”

“So… Yeonjae and I just… wait?”

“No. You prepare. We’ll have to leave the hospital tomorrow, and as soon as you two are out of here, you’re targets. We need a plan."

For the first time in a while, Yuqi smiled, and it wasn’t a smile that Soojin had seen from the girl before. It wasn’t sappy, or cocky, or goofy. It was _fire_.

_There we go. That’s the Yuqi we need right now._

* * *

All three of them knew that this was the _night before_ – that if things went badly, the next day could force a bitter end to the couple’s love and maybe even more. Yuqi and Yeonjae, of course, chose to spend the night together. Soojin imagined that the hospital room probably wasn’t the ideal place for sex and cuddles, but she knew they’d definitely figure out how to sneak at least a _little bit_ of personal time in. Soojin pictured one of Yuqi’s fuzzy socks hanging on the door of their hospital room and let herself smile just a tiny bit.

Desperate, horny, emotional sex wasn’t really Soojin’s thing, so she chose her own way of working through her feelings – sitting on the counter in their apartment’s kitchen next to her _girls_ sharing a pint of ice cream. Soojin sat in between the two lovers, holding the pint, and the three of them took turns attacking it with spoons. Shuhua sat on her left and Miyeon stood on her right. The oldest had tried to sit on the counter at first, but she was clearly still too sore to sit down comfortably after her _session_ with Shuhua. The pair’s sexual escapades had been amusing for Soojin to watch at first, but now the routines they’d settled into were almost _comforting_. Also… _delicious_. The ice cream wasn’t the only snack that Soojin was enjoying as she sat between the couple.

“So, which of us do you think would look better in a suit?” Shuhua asked, to nobody in particular. “Nevermind, that’s a dumb question. Obviously me.” Her confidence, as always, was impressive. Miyeon poked her and pouted, but Soojin could tell that she didn’t disagree.

“Miyeon-unnie looks pretty good with a skinny tie though,” Soojin offered.

Shuhua pondered this for a moment, looking thoughtfully at her girlfriend’s chest, and eventually nodded. “Ties are nice.”

“Is that how you’re gonna do the coming out thing? A suit and a dress?” Soojin raised an eyebrow. “Do you want balloons too?” She imagined a livestream with a giant MIYEON ❤️ SHUHUA banner and balloons falling from the ceiling as triumphant music played and a suit-wearing Shuhua proudly displayed her girlfriend for the world to see.

But Shuhua just sighed. “I can’t figure it out. It needs to be… Everything needs to be _right_.” Soojin passed the pint of ice cream to Shuhua and she stabbed at it with frustration.

“You’ll be beautiful no matter what you wear, Shu.” Miyeon put a hand on her girlfriend’s hip and stepped a little closer.

“I know,” she replied matter-of-factly, but even her substantial ego couldn’t hide the hints of a pleased smile. “Maybe we should wear princess dresses. That could be nice.”

Miyeon smiled, letting her girlfriend think out loud. She took the pint and dipped in, bringing a healthy spoonful up to Shuhua’s mouth. The girl accepted it unconsciously, still distracted by her pondering.

A thought occurred to Soojin. “Do you want the rest of us to be there?”

Apparently Shuhua hadn’t thought about that either. “Us? Do you mean like… our group?”

“Whoever you want.”

“ _Oh.”_ Shuhua looked at Miyeon. “Do we?”

Miyeon thought for a moment. “I think… maybe it would be nice.”

Shuhua nodded slowly. “Maybe we can do that then.”

Soojin took the pint back from Miyeon, delivering a healthy spoonful into her own mouth and humming with satisfaction at the taste. “If you make us dress up, you owe us all more ice cream.”

“Awwww…” Shuhua made a puppy face. “Do it for meeee? Because you looooove me?”

Soojin bopped Shuhua on the nose with her spoon, leaving a cold, wet drip of ice cream behind. “Nope.”

Shuhua yelped but wasn’t about to waste an opportunity. “Clean it off for me, unnie?” She leaned toward Miyeon.

“Gross!” Miyeon poked Shuhua in the nose, smearing the ice cream further.

“Why? You didn’t mind _cleaning me off_ an hour ago.” Shuhua batted her eyelashes.

“Ack! Stop it you… _goon_! You’ll scar poor Soojin’s innocent mind.” The two of them looked over at her, expecting her to react, but Soojin just shrugged.

“As long as I don’t have to watch.” Soojin wasn’t about to tell her garden it couldn’t bloom.

“Ummm… okay.” Miyeon shuffled her feet awkwardly for a moment. Even Shuhua didn’t have a witty response. The ice cream dripped from her nose as she searched for something else to say. Eventually, Miyeon wiped it off with a paper towel in a significantly less sexy way than Shuhua had originally hoped.

Soojin managed to suppress a laugh with a cough. Their silliness was routine, almost expected, but she’d never really tried to insert herself in the middle before. She’d always just rolled her eyes and groaned, but it was actually kind of fun to play with them. And Soojin had some _advantages_. _Hmmm. Let’s see if I can play with them a little._ “Speaking of not making me watch, your butt is showing, unnie.”

“Eep!” A wide-eyed Shuhua shot off the counter to provide a human shield for Miyeon while the older woman scrambled to pull up her pajama pants. She hadn’t really been exposed much at all, but Soojin knew her targets.

“Why is it all red but only on one side?” Soojin asked innocently. And suddenly Miyeon’s face was just as red as her rear, if not more.

“Erm… I… uhhh… pants…?” She looked at Shuhua for help, panicking.

“There was uhhhh… a bug! Yeah, there was a bug! And it landed on her butt and I swatted it.”

“Wow, you must have swatted it really hard. Did you get it?”

“Get what?”

“The bug. Did you kill the bug?”

“Ummm… yeah. I got it.”

“Good. I’m sure Miyeon unnie appreciated it, even if she’s a little sore now.” Soojin glanced at Shuhua, who slowly nodded, unsure how to react. “Did you say thank you to Shu?” She turned to Miyeon.

“Did I… what?”

“Did you say thank you to Shu for swatting it? The bug, I mean.”

“Oh, uhhh… thanks… Shu.”

Soojin scraped the bottom of the pint out with her spoon and presented the last bite to Miyeon. “Good. It’s important to be polite.” She slid off the counter, leaving a bewildered couple staring after her.

_Score one for team Soojin._

* * *

Soojin met Yuqi and Yeonjae back at the hospital the next afternoon to go over the plan. All they needed to do was to get Yuqi and Yeonjae somewhere safe together. On the surface, it seemed simple. The most important thing was to make sure that Yeonjae and Yuqi stayed safe. The second most important thing was to make sure that no humans (other than Yeonjae, of course) got involved. If they could manage both of those things, the night might just turn out alright.

Unfortunately, there were a few inconvenient details that made things much more complicated. They couldn’t involve a manager because all of their managers were human, and Yuqi and Soojin would need to be free to… _engage_ , should it become necessary, so this meant that Yeonjae would have to drive herself. Yuqi objected strongly to this at first, arguing that Yeonjae shouldn’t have to drive under such stressful conditions right after getting out of the hospital, but Yeonjae stood firm, doing her best to reassure Yuqi that she’d be fine.

The three of them knew that there was a good chance that Irene would be back as soon as she had an opening. All Irene needed to do was touch Yeonjae and hold on for a few seconds or sneak up on Yuqi and disable her somehow and carry her away. Either of these things would immediately end all hope for a happy ending to the night. Realistically, Yuqi and Soojin knew that they wouldn’t be very good at protecting Yeonjae if they stayed inside the car – Irene could just smash the window, reach in, and _charm_ Yeonjae – but Yeonjae would be even worse off on foot. So they settled on what they collectively decided was the best arrangement. Yeonjae would drive herself, and Yuqi and Soojin would follow stealthily on foot. The pair would watch each other’s backs and keep an eye on Yeonjae, who’d be doing her best to keep a pace that was fast enough that she wouldn’t be an easy target to catch but slow enough so that Yuqi and Soojin could keep up.

As for the _destination_ , that part was a little bit simpler. While Yuqi and Yeonjae had spent most of their time together in the secret apartment over Yeonjae’s studio, Yeonjae’s real apartment was high off the ground, and the building had far more security cameras than her studio did. Soojin guessed that the cameras would be at least a temporary deterrent, though Irene would probably figure out a way around them fairly quickly. The final reason for choosing her real apartment instead of the secret apartment above the studio went unmentioned, though all three of them understood it – the studio apartment was where Yeonjae had been attacked before, and she wasn’t ready yet to relive whatever pieces of that moment that remained in her memory.

Once the final paperwork for Yeonjae’s release had been processed later that evening, the trio made their way to the elevator and to the back exit of the hospital. Yeonjae had arranged with CUBE to have her car waiting for her upon her release, and it was parked directly under the covered entrance, ready to drive. Yuqi and Yeonjae paused for a moment, and Soojin stepped back to let them have their moment. When they finally separated after a long kiss, Soojin stepped forward again. “Ready?”

Yuqi nodded. Even though the stress was written plainly across the half-succubus’s face, she had a _bounce_ in her step that Soojin recognized with amusement. _Yeonjae fed her well_. Even the cherry-flavored aftertaste of whatever Yeonjae and Yuqi had done the previous night (and the next morning and afternoon) was a little bit overpowering. Soojin had, of course, also charged herself up with a healthy helping of MiShu casserole.

“Hey, Soojin?” Yeonjae said quietly. “Thanks.” There was something in her eyes… _trust? She decided to trust me?_

Soojin smiled an honest, quiet smile. “Thank me when we get there.”

Yeonjae bowed her head a little bit, returning the smile, and got into her car.

_Game on._

…

For the first part of the trip, Yeonjae stayed mostly to main roads where they had guessed Irene would be least likely to take the risk of exposing herself. Yuqi and Soojin didn’t have any trouble keeping up with Yeonjae just by walking quickly on the sidewalk because the evening traffic slowed Yeonjae’s progress to almost a crawl. Soojin had tasked Yuqi with monitoring the passersby to make sure all of them were human, a task she took to with impressive _focus_ , and Soojin watched the rooftops for any hint that they were being followed. There were more than a few moments where Soojin thought she caught a glimmer of movement out of the corner of her eye, but if it was Irene she was being exceptionally stealthy.

The second part of the route took them through quieter residential neighborhoods. Soojin and Yuqi had planned to spend this part of the trip on the rooftops, one on each side of the street flanking Yeonjae. The lower concentration of lights away from the city core meant that they were more likely to be able to cross from building to building without attracting unwanted attention, and the height would offer them a better vantage point for watching the alleyways and side streets for movement.

“You ready?” Yuqi asked, a hint of playfulness in her voice. She was standing near a fire escape attached to a small apartment building. Soojin was standing on the opposite side of the street in an alley between two houses, and Yeonjae had pulled over to wait for them to get into position. Both succubi were speaking softly, but they had no trouble hearing each other from across the street with their focused senses.

“Of course.”

“I’m just saying, you hyped up all that roof jumping stuff like you were Spiderman or something, so I’m gonna be disappointed if you’re lame.”

“Shut up, Yuqi. Climb the damn ladder.”

Yuqi wiggled her eyebrows and shot up the ladder, arriving at the roof within seconds.

“ _Show off_ ,” Soojin grumbled. She leapt up to grab a windowsill and vaulted herself up further to grab on to the side of the roof, pulling herself up with impressive grace. _Spiderman, huh? More like SpiderSoo._ She’d practiced her climbing a little bit after Miyeon and Shuhua had gone to sleep the night before, scaling a few buildings in her neighborhood until she felt comfortable with the basics.

It was a damp, foggy March night in Seoul and it was difficult to see far, even from on a rooftop five stories above the ground. As Yeonjae slowly rolled onward, Yuqi and Soojin expanded their _focus_ to watch for movement. And it didn’t take long for them to spot what they were looking for.

“ _There_.” Soojin pointed.

Irene walked slowly out of the fog into their sight, standing on the roof of a building about fifty feet ahead of Soojin. She was dressed as before, head-to-toe in black and her whole face covered by a mask except for her eyes, but there was no question that it was her. She nodded slowly at Soojin and then across the street at Yuqi. As the three of them watched each other, two taller figures emerged from the fog on an apartment building next to the one Yuqi had just jumped to. _Incubi_. Despite their masks and dark clothes, Soojin immediately recognized both of them. She’d grown up with them.

Irene raised her hand and the two incubi stopped. She looked at each one, communicating something silently, and then she spoke. It was barely a whisper, but she knew that Yuqi and Soojin could both hear it easily. “ _I’m sorry._ ”

And then she leapt off the roof.

Yuqi and Soojin hadn’t planned for this. In all of their planning, they’d always taken assumed that Irene would be hunting them alone, but now, suddenly, they found themselves having to fight on two fronts.

Soojin turned quickly toward Yuqi, speaking to her from across the street. “I’ll stop Irene. Just keep them away from us.” She nodded her head toward the two incubi, who were now starting to move toward Yuqi.

“Got it, coach.” Yuqi winked.

And then Soojin turned and jumped off the roof, following Irene, catching a tree branch on her way down to break her fall. _Here we go again._

* By the time Soojin neared Yeonjae’s car, Irene was almost at the window. She had a small contraption in her hand and had started to press it against the glass to shatter it when she was interrupted by the full weight of Soojin’s body colliding with hers in a powerful tackle. The two of them rolled across the asphalt, locked together, dizzied by the momentum, but in an instant, Irene was up again. She darted toward the car, but Soojin was ready. She twisted her body around and flung her lower half upwards to wrap her thighs around Irene’s leg, tripping her. The older woman hit the ground hard. This time, Soojin was the first to get back up and she placed herself squarely between Irene and the moving car.

“One way or another, you’re going to have to go through me if you want to get to her.”

Irene’s face was blank, betraying no emotions. She simply nodded and made another advance, sending a lightning-fast kick toward Soojin’s stomach. Soojin dodged backwards, almost losing her footing, but turned and pushed forward again, scoring a solid punch to the woman’s side. Irene stepped back for a moment, thinking, and then tried another angle, feinting inward past Soojin’s defenses and grabbing her arm, knocking her foot out from under her and flipping her over on her back. Soojin reached forward, barely managing to grab Irene’s leg and pull her down with her. With some quick, acrobatic twists, Soojin managed to get behind Irene and hold her in a headlock. _Drive, Yeonjae! Give me some distance to work with!_ But Soojin could only hold on for a few seconds as Irene delivered a sharp elbow to her gut that left her staggering.

“It doesn’t have to be like this, Soojin. Nobody has to get hurt here tonight.”

“Except Yeonjae? Isn’t that what you mean? None of _us_ has to get hurt?” Soojin was breathing heavily. She’d had plenty to eat, but she wasn’t used to fighting this way. Irene, on the other hand, seemed unfazed.

“Why do you keep defending the human? She means nothing to you.”

“You know, she’s actually starting to grow on me.” Soojin launched herself forward, swinging a series of punches at Irene, all of which the elder succubus either dodged or parried. Soojin feinted a final punch but caught Irene off guard with a hook from the other side, striking the woman square in the jaw. Irene tried to step back to steady herself, but Soojin didn’t let up. She pressed her advantage, raining blows down and forcing the woman to waste her energy blocking Soojin’s punches rather than throwing her own. Eventually Irene managed to break free of Soojin’s onslaught, dashing away to climb to the roof of a small, one-story house nearby. As much as Soojin’s body was begging her to stay by the car and keep a defensive stance, she knew that the older woman would recover quickly if given the chance. _Her endurance is… incredible._

There was no question that, blow for blow, Irene could outlast Soojin just as she had in their sprint across the city two nights earlier. So, as she leapt up to the roof of the house to face Irene, Soojin focused her rage and determination into her fists and swung them at the woman like battering rams, hoping to get lucky and find an opening. More than once, Irene parried a blow that could easily have knocked a human out cold.

Soojin’s attacks drove Irene backwards up the roof toward its peak, but Irene continued to dodge expertly, only occasionally taking glancing blows. Despite the long series of twists and dodges, she seemed not to be using any energy at all. “You’re strong, Soojin. But you can’t beat me. We could do this for hours and you’d only wear yourself out.” But as the woman spoke, Soojin noticed a tiny hole in Irene’ defenses. Her weight was unevenly balanced between her feet. Soojin charged forward and swung a powerful kick to Irene’s stomach. Irene immediately tried to twist away, but her imperfect stance betrayed her and she was too slow. She took the full force of the blow and staggered backwards, tripping over a gap in the roof and tumbling down the side. Soojin found herself hoping that none of the neighbors were looking out their windows – they might have spotted one of Korea’s most beautiful women taking out a satellite dish with her body as she hurtled past.

Irene managed to catch herself on the very edge of the roof with a groan and immediately she turned her head toward her two incubus allies who were battling Yuqi across the street. “ _Re-form!_ ” She called, and the two of them immediately turned and leapt off the roof and charged toward Yeonjae’s car.

Soojin looked at Irene, dangling off the edge of the roof, and then back to Yuqi. _Fuck!_ She screamed internally at a second missed opportunity to best Irene, who was already starting to look for somewhere she could safely drop to, but Soojin knew that Yeonjae needed help. She turned and leapt off the roof onto the house’s front lawn, squashing a lawn decoration as she landed. _Oops._ The two incubi were sprinting toward Yeonjae’s car, but Yuqi was closing in behind them. Soojin ran toward the car from the opposite side and leaped in the air, tumbling across the roof of the car and landing on her feet on the other side, right in front of the startled incubi. She launched herself upward, leading with her shoulder, and slammed into an unprepared incubus, knocking him over. “Yuqi!” she called out.

“Where’s Irene?” Yuqi was breathing hard, but she seemed to have done admirably well in holding off the two incubi. To be fair, Irene was probably a more skilled opponent than the two of them put together, but they clearly hadn’t expected Yuqi to put up this much of a fight.

“I took care of her,” Soojin responded. The two incubi, hearing this, glanced at each other nervously but stuck to the plan. The one that Soojin had knocked over scrambled up to face her, setting up a fighting stance. It was a familiar stance. He’d sparred with Soojin when they were younger, though usually Soojin won. _I wonder if…_ Soojin tried a quick combination, dodging left and feinting a punch before turning to place a kick to the man’s knee. He crumpled over in pain. _Yup, still falls for that one every time._

Yuqi, now only faced with one opponent, instantly settled into a rhythm. She dodged, parried, and struck. Her incubus attacker was tall, heavy, and muscular, and he absorbed Yuqi’s punches with only small grunts of pain before turning to strike back, but Yuqi was landing blows far more often than he was.

 _We might actually have a chance._ Yeonjae was driving forward with as much speed as she dared, the chaos of the fight swirling around her, and Soojin knew that they were only a few minutes away from Yeonjae’s apartment building.

Out of nowhere, a powerful blow knocked Soojin off her feet, sending her crashing to the ground. Irene was standing over her, an almost apologetic look on her face for the dirty hit from behind. Soojin tried to stand up, but the world spun around her and she fell back to the ground. _Fuck. Come on Soojin, get up._ Irene and her two lieutenants closed in on Yuqi, surrounding her and forcing her back away from the car. Irene silently nodded to the two incubi, needing only a quick look to communicate her plan, and in an instant both of them were diving toward Yuqi to hold her down while Irene turned and started toward the car, her path no longer blocked by either succubus. _No!_ Soojin tried one last time to stand, but her head was still ringing. She looked on helplessly as Irene got nearer and nearer to the car. _It can’t end like this!_

But then suddenly a body crashed into Irene. _Yuqi?_ Soojin turned to look, trying to focus her blurred vision, but another body flew by. Yuqi was standing unnervingly still, her eyes inky black.

_Oh._

The two incubi who had charged Yuqi were lying dazed in a pile on top of Irene. _“Stay away from my girlfriend!”_ The deep, furious voice came from Yuqi, a tone that chilled Soojin to the core. Irene rolled out from under the two incubi and scrambled to her feet, and the two of them followed, moving into formation next to her. Yuqi walked slowly toward the three, and Soojin could feel the _energy_ radiating off of her. The two incubi took up flanking positions around Yuqi, trying to attack her from two sides at once, but a pair of punches from Yuqi sent the two of them flying, sliding backwards across the asphalt and roaring in pain. They tried to get back up, but Irene shook her head. She stepped forward alone and adopted a defensive position, her face still expressionless.

Irene’s battle with Soojin had proven that she had excellent speed and agility and could dodge heavy blows for extended periods of time. Against Soojin, this was a winning combination. But against an enraged Yuqi, it meant nothing. Irene didn’t even see Yuqi’s first punch coming, and it knocked her back five feet and on to the ground. She got back up quickly and attempted to launch a counterattack, but Yuqi just caught her by the wrists as her punches flew and _twisted_. Any normal creature would have screamed in agony, but Irene only made a heavy gasping noise. Yuqi let Irene fall to the pavement and stood staring at her for a few moments. Then she turned away and walked toward the car. *

The two incubi scrambled to their feet, picking up the wounded Irene and carrying her back into fog. In an instant, they were gone.

 _Is that it?_ Soojin finally managed to rise, and once she steadied herself she found Yuqi standing quietly, staring down at her hands. After a moment, the two of them got in the car. They drove for five more minutes in silence, finally pulling up to Yeonjae’s building and parking the car.

Soojin looked over at Yuqi. The young half-succubus looked _exhausted_ and a little bit _sad_. _Why is she sad? We’re safe because of her. She just completely overwhelmed an opponent with almost twenty years more training than her like it was nothing._

The three of them took the elevator up to Yeonjae’s floor, still silent as Yeonjae keyed in the code to her apartment, and stepped inside.

Yeonjae was the first to speak, letting out a deep sigh. “We _made_ it. We’re –” And then turned and noticed that Yuqi and Soojin were staring at something in the dark, something that her human eyes couldn’t quite discern. She flipped on a light.

And there, standing in front of an open window, was Irene.

_We’re… twelve stories up. How the hell did she get up here? How is she even still standing after what Yuqi did to her?_

Soojin could sense the anger welling up again in Yuqi’s exhausted body, but the eldest succubus raised her hand up in front of her, signaling for them to hold. “I wanted to see this place.” Soojin noticed that she barely had any scratches on her, much less any apparent pain in her wrists, which Yuqi had almost certainly broken just minutes earlier. Either Irene had a secret twin, or… _can she just heal that fast?_ Soojin honestly wasn’t sure whether the two of them still had enough energy left to deal with what appeared to be a fully-recharged Irene if she chose to attack again. Yeonjae was standing tall, trying to put on a brave face, but Soojin could tell that she was terrified.

“At first, I didn’t understand why you were all fighting so hard. The logical thing to do would simply be to let me take Yuqi for training and to clear out Yeonjae’s memories of her. It’s not the happiest path, but in the end everyone would be safe.” Irene was slowly walking around Yeonjae’s apartment as she spoke. “But for some reason, the two of you didn’t seem to understand that,” she said, nodding toward Soojin and Yuqi.

She paused. “Yuqi… You and Yeonjae had your first kiss here, right? In that room over there?” She motioned in the direction of the bedroom. “I’ve never tasted that before. A succubus’s first kiss with someone they love.” She paused. “You do love her, don’t you?” She looked at Yuqi.

“I do. I love Yeonjae.”

“And you love her too?” She finally turned to Yeonjae, speaking to the human for the first time.

“I do. With all of my heart.”

“I thought so.” Irene sighed, thinking. Eventually, she pulled out her phone and typed out a quick message and sent it. “I’m starting to see that there’s something going on that I don’t think I fully understand, and I think I may not be the only one.” She walked slowly toward Soojin and handed her the phone. “So now you need to make us understand.”

Soojin stared at the screen at the single message that Irene had just sent.

_I, Bae Joohyun, call for a council. I am joined in my call by Seo Soojin and Song Yuqi._

“You’ll have your council, Seo Soojin. Don’t waste it.” Irene took her phone back from Soojin and walked toward the open window, leaping through it with one smooth motion and disappearing into the darkness below.

A few seconds later, as the trio were staring at each other trying to figure out what had just happened, Soojin and Yuqi’s phones both buzzed, an identical message displayed on their screens.

_Your call for council has been received. Await further instructions._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think of Irene now?


	17. Let's run til the end (part one)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But before she could finish her explanation, Shuhua exploded, losing control of what she was holding back. “Is it because you’re mad that you’re _alone_ while we’re happy?”
> 
> Soojin took one look at Shuhua and her face collapsed, tears welling. She stood up and walked quickly the door, not even stopping to put shoes on before disappearing into the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a long time to write and I'm still not totally satisfied with it, but I decided to post it so I'm not stuck on it forever. The second half of this part should be a lot easier to write.

It took a while, but eventually Soojin and Yeonjae convinced Yuqi that she needed to go back to the dorms to sleep. She hadn’t left Yeonjae’s side since their first encounter with Irene in Yeonjae’s studio apartment, and this was about to be the third night in a row away from her own bed.

 _“It’s okay, Yuqi,”_ Soojin had said to her. _“Nothing else will happen tonight. And even if something else does happen, I’ll be here with Yeonjae.”_ Somehow, in her exhaustion, Yuqi allowed herself to believe the older succubus.

Yeonjae didn’t seem to mind the idea of being alone with Soojin overnight, which surprised Yuqi a bit, but she figured that it was probably a positive development. _I guess they worked out whatever it was that they had going on._ And as much as Yuqi _really_ wanted just to cuddle with Yeonjae, she also really missed the feeling of her own bed.

When she woke up the next morning, she half-expected to hear hospital noises around her or to roll over and see Yeonjae asleep on a hospital bed next to her, but all she felt around her was the peace and quiet of her own bedroom. _And…_ there was a commotion coming from the kitchen. Yuqi groaned and sat up. _Isn’t it too early in the morning for this?_ She checked her phone. _11:26_. _Yeah, definitely too early._ She began to shuffle out of bed, but stopped as she realized that there were noises that she didn’t recognize, that she’d never heard before. Soft shufflings and rollings and echoes of voices. She listened harder, trying to identify the source. _Oh. It’s…_ Yuqi could hear the sounds of socks shuffling across the floor in the other room, the gentle whirr of drawers being pulled out and pushed back in, and the sound of Miyeon’s shorts brushing on the fabric of the couch as she sat. _That’s new._

She slowly walked outside to find all five of her groupmates buzzing around in the living room. Minnie was cooking in the kitchen, and Shuhua was offering unsolicited advice. Soyeon was giving a nervous Miyeon a tarot card reading from an app on her phone. _At least Miyeon-unnie and Shuhua are tasty this morning_. Yuqi took a moment to enjoy the fruity pastry taste. Soojin was… _wait, why isn’t Soojin with Yeonjae?_

The five of them looked up as she walked in. “Hey there sleepyhead,” Minnie said, smiling sweetly. She plopped a waffle on a plate for Yuqi and doused it with a generous helping of strawberries and whipped cream. Yuqi eyed her suspiciously but accepted the waffle and carried it over to the table. A collage of sweet coffee drinks and teas was arranged on the table. Someone must have gone to a café just before Yuqi had woken up. Yuqi sniffed, suddenly realizing that she could smell each individual drink. Sweet caramel mixed with iced mocha, berry tea, chamomile, a creamy latte… she watched the drips of condensation forming on the outside of the iced coffee and tracked the path of the steam rising from the tea. _Is this how Soojin sees things all the time? Why is this happening now?_

As much as Yuqi really wanted to just sit and eat, her anxiousness about Yeonjae couldn’t wait. She looked at Soojin, turning her body away from the other group members, and mumbled quietly under her breath. “ _Why are you here and not with Yeonjae?”_

Soojin seemed to hear her, getting up and walking over, whispering softly. _“She’s safe for now. They promised. I’ll explain later.”_

Yuqi gave Soojin a stern, ‘ _You better be sure about that’_ look, but eventually gave in and sat down with the rest of her members.

“Ahem!” Minnie stood and tapped her fork on a mug for attention, a largely useless gesture as they were all already looking at her. “I decided that today we’re all going to eat together because it’s been forever and it’s starting to feel like we’re strangers. I love you all, but if y’all don’t tell me everything about your lives I’m friend-breaking-up with you.” She glanced around the table. “Ummm… Yuqi, you go first.”

“Ummm… okay.” Yuqi prodded her brain to think of something that was believably _human_. “Yeonjae is at her apartment recovering. She said to say thank you for coming to visit her and sending her food.” Soojin had probably already told them this, but the four human girls nodded and smiled anyway.

“The way you talk about her is _super_ cute,” Minnie teased. “I would never have guessed that someone as sweet as her would be the one to _tame_ you.” Yuqi could smell Minnie’s chapstick from several feet away as she spoke. 

Pulling herself away from her surprise at her suddenly-expanded senses, Yuqi cocked an eyebrow and scoffed. “Nobody could ever _tame_ me. I’m just… showing off a different _concept_.” She scratched her head and a sheepish look appeared on her face. “But yeah, ummm… I think I’m getting pretty serious with her.”

“ _Serious_? Like… did you… _say_ it?” Minnie’s eyes widened.

“Yeah…” _I guess I did._ Yuqi remembered the previous night, cringing. She’d only said it at Irene’s prompting. She remembered the way the older succubus had stared at Yeonjae and her, as if she was peering into their _souls_. Definitely not the circumstances she would have chosen to say it for the first time.

Minnie misread Yuqi’s cringe. “Oh… Yuqi… it’s okay if she didn’t say it back yet. Maybe she just needs more time.”

“She did. She said it back. It’s just it wasn’t quite… I wanted it to be more special. Maybe I’ll get a do-over and I can make it more special next time.”

“Every time is special.” Miyeon said, smiling quietly, and Yuqi wasn’t quite sure she’d heard her correctly. “Whether it’s the first time or the second time or the hundredth time, it’s still special to hear that the person you love loves you back.” Shuhua squealed and wrapped herself around Miyeon so tightly that the eldest was gasping for breath. Yuqi heard the breath whoosh out of Miyeon’s lungs as Shuhua squeezed her. “ _Ack, Shu,_ I love you, but please don’t suffocate me.” Shuhua reluctantly loosened her grip a bit but didn’t let go. Miyeon turned back to face Yuqi. “As long as you make sure she knows that you love her, then that’s enough.” She gave Yuqi what she apparently thought was a wise, mature look to emphasize her point.

“Awwww!” Minnie squealed. “There’s so much love going on in our group. And also… there’s lonely Minnie who nobody will ever love.” She pretended to pout. “But…” Her face brightened. “Guess whose number I got this morning?” Five pairs of eyes turned toward her. “You’ll never believe it.” She waited, looking around. “You have to guess.”

Yuqi groaned “That’s dumb, just tell us.”

“Minnie said we have to _guess_ , Yuqi,” Soyeon interjected, speaking seriously. She turned to Minnie. “What are the rules?”

“Oh. Ummm…” Minnie apparently hadn’t thought as far as _rules_. “You each get one question, and the first person to guess it wins…” Minnie looked around for a moment. “… an extra waffle.” Yuqi hadn’t touched her first waffle yet, afraid of how overwhelming the strawberries and whipped cream might taste right now.

“Me first!” Miyeon raised her hand excitedly. “Where did you meet her?” Shuhua was still leaning on Miyeon’s shoulder, basking in the older woman’s loving aura.

“Do you mean today or the first time?”

“Oh. Ummm… the first time I guess?” Miyeon shrugged.

“The first time was at an awards show I think, I’m not sure when, but she didn’t talk to me then. This morning I just ran into her at the coffee place down the street.” She waited for Miyeon to offer a guess at who it was, but with none forthcoming she turned to Soojin. “Okay, Soojin’s turn to ask a question.”

Yuqi watched Soojin _watching_ Minnie, maybe looking for a hint to help her pick her question. “ _Hey,_ ” Yuqi whispered under her breath to Soojin. “ _That’s cheating._ ”

Soojin shot her a covert glance, picking up her mug to cover her mouth while whispering back. “ _Just look. Practice a little._ ”

Yuqi shot Soojin a confused look back but turned her attention to focus on Minnie. The girl didn’t have any particularly aggressive tastes. Just some jam flavored masturbation and a tiny hint of marmalade desire from this morning. _Maybe I should work on… tending her a little? It’s been a while since…_ The other details Yuqi noticed didn’t seem to provide much help. Minnie smelled like outdoors and… a coffeeshop? _She got drinks for all of us? She’s too sweet a human. It’s weird._ The coffeeshop smell was strong. _She stayed a while to talk with someone_. Yuqi watched Minnie’s face, exploring the details of her expression. _She seems excited, but more proud than romantic. It’s not someone she’s been crushing on. It’s somebody she never thought of that way, but she’s excited now._

Soojin had her question ready. “Is she from an older girl group?”

Minnie raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Good guess. Yeah, she is.”

 _What is Soojin seeing?_ Yuqi looked closer. Minnie didn’t have any obvious marks from sexual touching, but Yuqi would’ve tasted that right away if she had. She wasn’t wearing any unusual clothes, and her makeup was normal for a low-key day. She was energetic, but… _that could mean anything._

“My turn.” Soyeon leaned forward. “What did she smell like?”

“Ummm… that’s a weird question,” Minnie responded, confused. “How’s that gonna help you figure out who it was?”

“Detectives can’t only look for obvious clues. Sometimes we find things in places we don’t look.”

Yuqi wrinkled her forehead for a second trying to figure out whether their pint-sized leader’s answer was profound or nonsensical.

Minnie scratched her head. “Well. Um. Okay. I guess she didn’t smell like much, she didn’t have a strong perfume on.”

With a quick, energized sniff, Yuqi confirmed that Minnie didn’t have any hints of another woman’s perfume on her, or even any hints of a stranger’s _tastes_. She tasted traces of Shuhua, who had been standing next to her in the kitchen, Soyeon who she’d probably talked with earlier that morning in their apartment, and even a little bit from Miyeon who was sitting next to her now. But she didn’t taste any traces of the mystery woman.

 _Oh. That’s… confusing._ Yuqi caught Soojin’s look and nodded. “It’s Irene Bae.”

“What the hell, Yuqi, are you psychic now?” Minnie gave Yuqi a suspicious look as she dropped the extra waffle on her plate. Shuhua looked miffed that she didn’t get to ask anything, and Soyeon just nodded sagely at the apparent importance of her question about the woman’s smell.

“No, I just… I saw Irene in that coffee shop the other day, so I figured it might be her,” Yuqi lied. _Actually, the last time I saw her I broke both of her wrists because she was gonna hurt my girlfriend, and then she was fine like ten minutes later._

“Well… she’s really pretty. Was she nice?” Miyeon asked tentatively.

Soojin spoke up before Minnie could respond. “I’ve… heard some bad things about her. You should be careful.” All of the girls except Yuqi looked at Soojin with surprise. It wasn’t like her to speak so openly negatively about someone. Even without her heightened senses, Yuqi would’ve noticed Soojin’s awkward body language and forced, halting speech.

“You shouldn’t believe everything you hear, Soo. There are always mean rumors about idols. She was super nice to me, and she even offered to pay for the drinks.” Minnie was clearly a little bit offended. _Is it because she thinks Soojin isn’t happy she found someone she might like?_

“Just… be careful, Minnie-unnie.” Soojin was struggling to keep her words measured.

“I thought you’d be happy for me, Soo. You of all people know – “

Yuqi interjected, trying to stop things from getting out of hand. “It’s not like that, Minnie-unnie. Soojin-unnie just wants to make sure you’re safe.” Seeing Minnie’s skepticism, she continued. “We all want you to be happy, we’re just maybe a little overprotective sometimes. It took Soojin-unnie forever to decide that Yeonjae was really good for me, but now she’s been fighting for us.” Yuqi shot a glance sideways at Soojin, noting hints of bruises from the combat the previous night. _Literally fighting._

Soojin still had an odd look on her face, one that matched what Yuqi felt but was apparently better at hiding -- _What the hell is Irene doing with our groupmates?_ Minnie was frowning, trying to parse Soojin’s expression, but Shuhua saved the moment. “Are you gonna go out with her? If you need date planning help, you can always come to me. I taught Yuqi everything she knows about how to seduce women, and obviously it worked well for her.”

Yuqi managed to hide a snort in a cough. “Why don’t we let Minnie decide all of this at her own pace, okay guys?”

Miyeon nodded. “If there’s anything you need, you can always come talk to us.” Minnie smiled and nodded in response. “Okay, Soyeon is next. What’s happening in your life?” Minnie gestured at their leader with a flourish.

The small woman straightened up, looking proud of herself. “I decided our next album is going to be about sex monsters.”

 _Wait, what?_ Yuqi snuck a glance at Soojin, who had an eyebrow raised. Yuqi noticed Soojin’s muscles tensing slightly. _Is that her normal reaction when she gets nervous? Why didn’t I notice that before?_

“Unnie, did you say… _sex monsters?_ ” Shuhua looked confused.

“The most famous female monsters are all sex monsters, but I was watching some movies and I think maybe the stories weren’t really fair to them. So I’m gonna write about the real stories of those monsters.”

“Oh, so the album is gonna be about how we’re… _monsters_?” Miyeon joined her girlfriend in her confusion.

Yuqi cringed. _Oh god. This can’t be happening. Especially not right now._ Images of the six of them dancing on stage wearing bat wings and devil horns floated through Yuqi’s head.

“Yes!” Soyeon looked proud of Miyeon for figuring it out.

Yuqi glanced over at Soojin, who looked uncharacteristically panicked. “… ummm… what kind of monsters, unnie?”

“Sirens!” Soyeon looked very pleased with herself.

 _Oh thank god._ Yuqi saw Soojin slide back in her chair and let out a sigh of relief.

“What’s a siren, unnie?” Shuhua looked confused.

“They’re monsters in Greek myths that tempt men with their beautiful voices.” Minnie answered for Soyeon. “I read about them in school.”

Shuhua nodded her approval. “Oh. That’s pretty cool. What happens to the men that the sirens tempt though?”

“They die,” Soyeon answered, nodding solemnly.

“Oh.” Shuhua pondered this revelation.

“We’re like, the least likely people in the world to be monsters though… right?” Yuqi looked around, awaiting affirmation.

“I think everyone has a monster inside of them,” Soyeon quipped, and other three humans nodded approvingly at this tidbit of wisdom.

“Ooookay then.” _This is super weird._ Yuqi stepped in before the conversation turned to _other_ famous female monsters. “I think it’s Miyeon’s turn to tell us about her life?”

The oldest bounced a little with excitement. “Soyeon says that the tarot cards say that things will be okay when Shu and I tell our fans that we’re together.” She held Shuhua’s hand and smiled happily at the maknae.

“When did you think… you wanted to do it?” Soojin asked tentatively. Yuqi knew that Soojin had _other things_ to think about right now. _And so do I._

“We were thinking… maybe this weekend?” Miyeon said nervously, and Shuhua nodded, confirming.

“Isn’t that…” Soojin had a conflicted look on her face. “Isn’t that too soon? Maybe you could wait a little longer?” _Why is she…? Oh. The council. It must be happening this weekend._

“What’s your problem today, Soo?” Minnie suddenly interjected, apparently still sore about Soojin’s response to her own news. “Can’t you be happy for any of us? I don’t know why you’re not supporting them.”

“I’m… it’s just…” Soojin stammered. “We should be careful…”

Miyeon looked surprised and hurt. “Soo… why are you saying this? Do you not want us to do it? Are you afraid of what could happen?” A darker look was crossing Shuhua’s face. Yuqi could see her tensing up.

Minnie responded, cutting Soojin off. “Soojin doesn’t get to be afraid. It’s our job to support you no matter what.” She fired a glare at Soojin, and Soojin shrank back in her chair in response.

“Guys, please… it’s…”

But before she could finish her explanation, Shuhua exploded, losing control of what she was holding back. “Is it because you’re mad that you’re _alone_ while we’re happy?”

 _Wow, where did that come from?_ Shuhua had always been protective of Miyeon, but this was a messier, more complicated anger. Even Miyeon looked surprised at Shuhua’s outburst.

Soojin took one look at Shuhua and her face collapsed, tears welling. She stood up and walked quickly the door, not even stopping to put shoes on before disappearing into the hallway.

Yuqi stood up and looked around at her human groupmates. She shook her head sadly at Miyeon and Shuhua and followed Soojin out the door, a shocked Minnie staring after her. _If only you knew_.

…

Soojin sat sniffling in a corner on the rooftop, hidden behind a utility box, her socks wet and dirty with the grime of the roof panels.

“ _Hey_ ,” Yuqi said, approaching slowly.

Soojin looked up at her with tear-stained eyes, her face puffy. She didn’t respond. Yuqi could smell Soojin’s tears, her senses providing her with extra information that she really didn’t want at this particular moment.

Yuqi sat down gingerly on the grimy roof next to Soojin. “I’m sorry for what they said, you didn’t deserve that.” Soojin remained silent, staring down at the roof panels beneath her. “You were just worried about… the council?” Soojin nodded slowly, confirming. “Oh.” Yuqi shuffled closer to Soojin, bumping up against her a little bit. The cold, gritty dampness of the roof was already soaking through her sweatpants, but she steeled herself against the gross feeling and tried to put out a comforting aura. “You’re always trying to protect someone,” she said quietly. “It must get… exhausting.” Soojin was still staring at the ground, but Yuqi could see a hint of something in her face in response. “Is this what _they_ expect of you? To always put protecting other people ahead of living your own life?”

Soojin finally spoke, her voice shaky. “It’s… it’s not like that. They’re not forcing me to be this way, I’m just… we have to help each other because…” The rhythm of Soojin’s jagged breaths punctuated her words.

Yuqi wrapped an arm around Soojin’s shoulder and gently pulled her closer. Neither woman spoke for a while. Only the wind and Soojin’s quiet sniffles broke the silence.

Finally, Soojin spoke, a strained whisper. “I just want to be _normal_ , Yuqi.” She paused again, tears welling up. “Shu was right. I’m just _jealous_ because I’m alone and I always will be.”

“Whoa, hey… you’re not alone. You have all of us. Even when we fight, you know they all care about you…” Yuqi was being sincere, but the words weren’t landing the way she had hoped. Soojin’s mind was focused on something else.

“Not the way I want… _them_ to.”

“ _Oh_.” Yuqi looked closer, trying to parse Soojin’s reaction. “You mean… Miyeon and Shuhua?” Yuqi had been extremely… _distracted_ the past few weeks, but even she had noticed how Soojin always hovering around the pair. “You like them in more than just a… _friend-meal_ kind of way?”

Soojin hesitated, but slowly nodded.

“How… ummm…” _How do I ask this question?_ “How exactly do you feel about them?”

“I… I don’t know.” Soojin sighed, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “I don’t want to have sex with them. I just… I want them to be mine and…” She stopped, struggling to push out the last few words. “I want to be theirs.”

“ _Oh._ ” Yuqi blinked, trying to process this. “Like… a _tending_ thing?”

Soojin nodded, but then shook her head. “More than that. Like… I want them to be… I would be fine if I didn’t eat from anybody else ever again. I just want to keep them safe and _happy_.”

“Oh. That’s…” She left the sentence unfinished. “Do you think maybe you… _love_ them?”

“ _Maybe_.” Soojin took a deep breath. “But it doesn’t matter.” She spat out the last few words, her voice cracking with frustration.

“Why?” Yuqi asked, but she already knew the answer.

Soojin turned suddenly to look at Yuqi, anger in her eyes. “Because I can’t _be_ with them, Yuqi. Even if they… even if they wanted that, I could never… I couldn’t tell them… I… I’m supposed to be with someone else.”

“… Oh.” Yuqi thought for a moment and then spoke tentatively. “You… said something about that before. What did you call it?”

“It’s called… matching.”

“And that means…?”

Soojin sighed. “Sometime around when I turn thirty, a… _match_ will be chosen for me. And that’s who I’ll be with and who they’ll want me to have a family with.” She spoke as if she were resigned to her fate.

“Like… an arranged marriage?” Yuqi didn’t like that idea at all.

“No, it’s…” Soojin trailed off, not finding the right words, confirming Yuqi’s guess with her silence.

“But… why?”

Soojin shrugged, a bitter look on her face. “There’s not a lot of opportunities for succubus dating, Yuqi.” She bit her lip. “They choose us matches based on who they think will be the safest pairings and the most… effective.”

Yuqi’s thoughts turned back to Yeonjae, the woman she still needed to find a good way to say _I love you_ to.

“So… not so much about the… _love_ parts.”

“Not so much.” Soojin breathed out a heavy breath, exhaling her frustration.

Yuqi sat for a minute, pondering this while she picked at the seams on her sweatshirt. “What do you mean by… _effective_ pairings?”

Soojin cringed. “I guess you might as well learn now. It’s kind of related to how you… _happened_.”

 _Oof_. Yuqi really didn’t want to revisit her depressing family history, but it seemed like an important question. “Am I about to get taught succubus sex ed?”

“Yup.” Soojin managed a halfhearted, wry smile. She took a deep breath and began. “In order to… make a succubus baby, both partners need to be very… _energized_. Without a lot of energy stored up, it won’t work _._ And when the baby is growing, the mother succubus needs to keep her energy really high. It can be dangerous for her if she doesn’t. That’s why they match us the way they do. They’re finding the pairs that they think will be best at _tending_ together and who have the right… _garden_ built up.”

“Oh. So… there needs to be, like… _supercharged_ woman stuff and…” she cringed. “… man _stuff_ to make a baby?”

Soojin nodded, her expression twisting into a grimace. “Something like that.”

A dark thought was starting to settle in Yuqi’s mind. “But… then how could my parents have… how did they…?”

“I don’t know how you… _happened_. It’s… rare.”

“Wait… but… does that mean…?” Yuqi’s thoughts were starting to spin. _But…_ _that can’t be…_

“Does it mean what?” Soojin wasn’t following.

“That my parents didn’t… they weren’t trying…” _They weren’t trying to have me. They didn’t think I could happen._

A sudden look of realization hit Soojin, her eyes widening. “ _Oh_ , Yuqi… it doesn’t have to mean that they… maybe they were just trying really hard hoping it would work.”

“I… don’t think that’s what it means.” The reality clicked, and it fit. _They never planned to have a child._

Soojin leaned in, speaking softly. “You can’t know that, Yuqi. And… it doesn’t matter either way. You’re here, and we love you, and we want you.” She wrapped an arm around Yuqi, bringing the girl closer, muffling her sadness with a hug.

It was only then that Yuqi noticed that Soojin was shivering, having run out of their apartment without grabbing a coat. For a moment, she hated her parents with her entire focus for leaving her so _alone_ , but then the moment passed and she took a deep breath and centered herself. _That was a long time ago. Right now I’m here, and that’s where I belong._ Yuqi slowly nodded. “ _Okay._ ” _This isn’t their story. It’s mine._ “So…” She paused. “The council?”

“Right. It’s this Sunday night.”

 _Five days._ It seemed like so little time to prepare, but she knew that the wait would feel endless. “And… Yeonjae?”

“She’ll be allowed to keep her memories… for now. She’ll be under lockdown until then. She’s not allowed to leave her apartment or contact any humans about what’s going on, and somebody will be monitoring her all the time. If she breaks any of the rules…” Soojin didn’t need to finish the sentence. They both understood the stakes. _If she breaks any of the rules, it’s all over_.

Yuqi took in a sharp, angry breath. “That’s totally unfair. She’s being treated like an animal in a cage. She didn’t do anything wrong.”

“It’s… harsh, but you have to understand that Yeonjae terrifies them. And honestly, she scares me a little bit too. Everything about this is extremely dangerous for… _us_ , and it’s kind of surprising that they’re even letting her stay like this.” Yuqi wanted to argue more, but she knew it wasn’t Soojin’s decision to make. “Yeonjae already agreed to it though. She said as long as she’s allowed to see you, she’s okay with it.” Soojin frowned. “It was kind of gross, actually. She loves you a lot.”

 _She loves me, and I love her._ “So… what do we do until then?”

“The council… it’s a way for us to be heard. We make our argument, they’ll ask us questions, and then they decide. Technically all three of us can make a statement… us and Irene, I mean, but I don’t think…” She trailed off. “The two of us have to figure out what we’re gonna say.”

“So… like we have to write _speeches_?” Yuqi wasn’t exactly self-conscious about her speaking abilities, but it had been a while since she’d been expected to perform this particular type of speaking.

“Ummm… yeah.” Soojin shuffled awkwardly.

“What kind of things do people usually say?” Yuqi imagined standing at a podium delivering a lecture on succubus love.

“Uhhh… well I haven’t _actually_ been to one of these before, but…” She cringed in response to Yuqi’s wide-eyed look. “I’ve… heard stuff. Councils are really uncommon, so…” She gestured awkwardly, ending with a shrug. “I’m… not totally sure what it’ll be like.”

“Oh.” Yuqi dropped her head into her hands. “We’re so screwed.”

* * *

Neither Yuqi nor Yeonjae felt much like having sex when they knew they were being watched, so they spent their evening curled up in bed together gloom-cuddling. They tried to stay positive, talking about everything but the thing that was really on their minds. Yeonjae wasn’t ready to talk about how incredibly _frustrating_ it was to be stuck in a cage and to know that she couldn’t even come to the council to watch her fate be decided by people she didn’t know and would probably never meet, and Yuqi didn’t push her. This was only the first day of five before the council. There would be plenty of time to talk and not talk about everything they were thinking.

As much as she wanted to, Yuqi knew that she couldn’t sleep at Yeonjae’s apartment every day all week, so she stayed as late as she could until an emotionally and physically exhausted Yeonjae started to drift in and out of consciousness. She placed a soft kiss on Yeonjae’s cheek and gave her a hug that felt like it was meant for a longer goodbye and headed out into the evening snow flurries. She didn’t immediately start back toward the dorm, though. She had another plan in mind.

It didn’t take Yuqi long to find the succubus tasked with _monitoring_ Yeonjae. As she’d expected, Irene was perched atop a nearby apartment building wearing her usual dark outfit and mask. Much like her surroundings, she was starting to accumulate a white snow glaze. “Hello, Yuqi.” She didn’t even turn to look at Yuqi, her gaze remaining fixed on the windows of Yeonjae’s apartment. Irene was clearly able to sense Yuqi’s presence without looking. For a moment, Yuqi wondered exactly how sensitive the older succubus’s senses were. _Can she just sense everyone moving around her without looking? Could she fight blindfolded?_

“Uhhh, hey.” Yuqi approached tentatively. She hadn’t really thought much about what she’d actually say when they met again. “Thanks for the ummm… _council_ thing.”

“Under the circumstances, it was logical.” Irene still hadn’t turned to face Yuqi.

“Can I… sit?”

“If you’d like.”

Yuqi lowered herself on to the cold rooftop next to Irene, brushing away the light coating of snow, mirroring Irene’s pose and looking out over the street toward Yeonjae’s building. She allowed herself to look more closely at Irene for a moment. The woman was certainly beautiful, and perhaps even more beautiful in-person than on screen, but there was something very off-putting about her. While Yeonjae fit naturally in groups and had a way of making every person she spoke with feel _special_ , Irene was just… _distant._ It was as if the entirety of her being was focused on her task, with only a tiny sliver allotted to responding to Yuqi.

“What are you watching for?” If Yuqi wanted to have a conversation with Irene, it was likely going to have to be about her _work_.

“If anyone comes to her apartment, if she calls anyone she’s not allowed to call or if she does anything unusual.” Irene’s gaze didn’t waver from the direction of Yeonjae’s apartment. _Does she even blink?_

Yuqi frowned. It was more or less what she’d expected, but she still didn’t like the idea. _Is all of this really necessary?_ But now wasn’t a useful time to argue about the details. She sat for a moment, _focusing_ her senses toward the corner of the twelfth floor where Yeonjae’s apartment windows were, but she really couldn’t tell in any detail what was happening inside. The millions of snowflakes dancing in the city lights weren’t doing her ability to focus any favors. “Can you really sense all that?”

“Yes. Right now she’s in bed, falling asleep.” Yuqi already knew this, but it was unnerving to hear it from someone else.

“Will you take a break when she goes to sleep?” _Will you let her sleep in peace without someone watching her?_

“No.” This time Yuqi thought she saw Irene blink.

“Oh.” Irene’s casual… _indifference? … Professionalism?_ was confusing. _Is she a machine?_ Yuqi decided to try a different approach. “I’m… sorry for hurting you.”

“I understand why you did.”

 _Why aren’t you even a little mad at me? You’re allowed to understand and still be angry._ “Yeah, but… I’m still _sorry_. I didn’t mean to use that much strength, it just _happened_.”

For the first time, Irene turned to look at her, her dark eyes focused on Yuqi. It was hard to read her expression with most of her face covered, but it seemed… _curious?_

“How much do you know about what you can do?”

 _Is she… professionally curious? Or personally?_ “Ummm… not really very much. Mostly I’ve just been figuring it out on my own. I was… alone for a long time.” Yuqi’s spoke tentatively, not sure exactly how to have a personal conversation with Irene.

The older succubus nodded at this. She’d apparently either guessed or been told about Yuqi’s isolated past. “How many times have you done that before? Focused your energy like that, I mean.”

“Twice. You saw both of them.” _You were the one who made me do it both times._

“And the time at the bar, when you _charmed_ all the humans?”

“You _knew_ about that?” _How long did they know about me?_ Yuqi gulped, suddenly thinking back over the events of the past few weeks and hoping they hadn’t been _watching_ the whole time.

“Yes.” Irene didn’t offer any additional details. “You’ll need to learn to control that. It’s a dangerous power.”

“Yeah, I figured that part out. I almost died.” Yuqi paused for a moment. “Yeonjae saved my life.” _And Soojin helped too. Sort of._

Irene raised her eyebrows slightly. “Did she know what you are?”

For a moment, Yuqi wondered whether she should lie to Irene, but eventually she decided in favor of honesty. “Yeah. She knew about me then. I know you might not believe me, but she really just treats me like her girlfriend, not some weird monster. She cares about me, and she’s… she’s really helped me accept who I am.”

“Hmmm.” Blank-faced Irene was back again. “Normally that would be our job.”

 _Well, you weren’t exactly there for me when I needed help, were you?_ Yuqi shook off the thought. “Did I… hurt you badly? When I…” _When I threw you against a wall or when I snapped your wrists?_

Irene looked away, thinking, and Yuqi thought she spotted a hint of a cringe. “The second time took me a few minutes to recover from, but the first was more serious. I haven’t had to go to the hospital to recover before, though it was probably partly because I was low on energy already from navigating the city beforehand.”

Yuqi failed to suppress a smirk as she heard this last piece. _Navigating?_ _You mean getting chased by Soojin across half of Seoul?_ But the expression faded as the weight of the words set in. _I could actually have really hurt her._ “How do you do that? The healing thing?”

“It would take a long time to explain.” Irene turned back toward Yeonjae’s building and resumed her _monitoring_.

“Oh.” A snowflake landed in Yuqi’s eyelashes and quickly melted, dripping downward. She rubbed it away, squinting.

Something seemed to be on Irene’s mind. “It’s possible that, after all of this is resolved, the elders might select me to train you.”

Yuqi snorted in disgust. “You mean after they take Yeonjae away from me?”

“That hasn’t been decided yet,” Irene responded, almost too quickly.

Yuqi looked deeply at Irene, watching the woman’s features as she spoke. “If… they decide we can’t be together, would you try to charm Yeonjae again?”

Irene was silent for a long moment. “Yes. If they order me to.”

“I won’t let you. I would never let you.”

“Hm.” Irene nodded, as if she’d expected the response. Yuqi couldn’t help but notice that Irene’s posture remained attentive but relaxed, even in the face of such an obvious threat. _She’s not even the least bit afraid of me, even after what I did to her._

Sitting next to the woman, a swirl of feelings battled inside Yuqi’s mind. On one hand, this woman had _hurt_ Yeonjae once and tried to do it again a second time, but on the other hand she’d apparently broken her orders to give the two of them a chance to be safe. “Why do you always do what they say? Some part of you has to know this is… _wrong_.” Irene’s eyes narrowed a little bit, but she didn’t respond, so Yuqi probed in a different direction. “What do you think of Yeonjae?”

Irene looked surprised by the question. “You mean personally?” Yuqi nodded. Irene shrugged. “She seems nice, for a human.”

“That’s it?”

“She tastes nice, I guess.”

“Hey!” Yuqi started to chastise the woman, but Irene looked at her with a raised eyebrow. _Right, she’s still my senior. In the idol world too, I guess_. That was a strange thought _._ “I mean… since you’ve basically been _hunting_ her, you must have some opinions about her, right?”

“Not really.”

“How can you…? I don’t understand how you can… _be_ like this.”

Irene sat up straight and sighed. “There’s a lot of things about us that you don’t understand, but I don’t blame you. Nobody ever taught you.” She thought for a moment. “It’s hard to explain. Everyone I’ve ever talked with about… _our_ business had been a part of it their whole lives.”

“You sound like Soojin.”

“Hmmm.” Irene turned back toward Yeonjae’s apartment. “Soojin is either very impressive or very dangerous, and I’m not sure which yet.”

Yuqi wrinkled her brow in confusion. “I think Soojin is just… Soojin.”

Irene smiled a small wry smile. “Maybe to you, but to us she’s different. I think she’s probably the youngest succubus to ever have initiated a call for a council.”

“Oh. Is that bad?”

“It’s… not how things are usually done.” She looked at Yuqi, narrowing her eyes. “Actually, from what I heard, she never really caused any trouble until very recently.”

“Oh.” Yuqi pondered this. “That’s probably my fault.”

“Don’t give yourself too much credit, Yuqi. Things couldn’t have turned out like this if she didn’t already have doubts.”

“Hmmm.” Yuqi took this in. _Is that because of Miyeon and Shuhua? And how Soojin feels about them?_ “Um… Irene-ssi? Can I ask you a question?” The woman nodded, perhaps a little bit confused because all Yuqi had been _doing_ was asking her questions. “Have you been through the _matching_ yet? Soojin told me about it.”

Irene stiffened. “No. But I will soon.”

“It sounds dumb, old people deciding who you’re gonna marry.”

“It’s for the good of all of us.”

“Yeah, that’s what Soojin said too.” Yuqi watched strangers passing on the street many floors below, taking a moment to test her senses. “What are you doing with Minnie then?”

Irene turned to look at her, confused by the question. “She’s cute and she’s attracted to me,” she said as if pointing out the obvious.

“And… you don’t think that’s a little weird with… everything else going on?” _With me having to fight to even be able to be with a human?_

“ _Oh._ ” Irene apparently hadn’t even considered the connection. “I’m not going to _date_ her, Yuqi. We’ll just have sex if she wants to, and if she doesn’t, I’ll _tend_ her and find her someone else. I’m stuck being around you for a while, so it makes sense to have some food nearby.”

Yuqi grimaced. “She’s a _person_ , not a meal.”

“She can be both, Yuqi. I’m not _using_ her. I only get what I want if she gets what she wants too.”

“Can you just…” Yuqi squirmed. “She’s a really good person, okay? Can you at least try to get to know her a little bit before you…” She looked at Irene, hoping the older woman would understand, but she only got a hard stare back.

“You know I can’t, Yuqi.”

Yuqi thought she caught a glimmer of something in Irene’s eyes for a moment, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. “Well… I hope whoever you get matched with is someone you can love.”

Irene didn’t respond for a while, continuing to stare quietly out over the street toward Yeonjae’s apartment. Eventually she spoke. “Yeonjae is asleep now.”

Yuqi figured that the two of them had built up enough rapport to broach the subject that was bothering her. “I don’t like that you’re watching her like this. She deserves privacy.”

Irene nodded. “I can see why you would feel that way.”

A thought struck Yuqi. “What if… what if when me or Soojin is with her you maybe you didn’t watch so much?”

“I was told to watch her all the time when I’m here.” Irene was frowning.

“I know, but… you know that even if for some reason she wanted to tell someone our secrets, Soojin and I would never let her do that, right?”

“That’s probably true.”

“So? Could you maybe trust us to… _watch_ her?”

“Hmmm. That would be against my orders.” Despite her objection, Irene seemed to actually be considering the idea. _Maybe I’m wearing her down?_

“What about… can you maybe just not watch when she’s doing _private_ things? Or… _I’m_ doing… private things with her?”

Irene thought for a while, eventually reluctantly nodding. “Okay. If you tell her to only use her phone and her computer in _that_ room,” she said, pointing to the room with the most windows, “I’ll let her have some privacy in the other rooms. But only when she’s doing something private.”

“Really?” Yuqi hadn’t really expected Irene to change her mind.

“Yes.”

“I kinda thought you’d never disobey orders.”

Irene cringed. “I’m not disobeying my orders. I’m just… _reinterpreting_ them.”

“Ah. Okay.” _If that’s what she Irene needs to tell herself, it’s fine with me._

The two of them sat quietly for a while, staring together at the building across the street, the sound of snowflakes falling surrounding them. Finally, Yuqi spoke. “Irene-ssi?”

“Yes, Yuqi?”

“I want you to know that, even if I have to fight you again, I’m glad we met.”

For a moment Yuqi thought she saw a flash of a smile, a hint of _warmth_ peeking through Irene’s cold, professional exterior. “I’m… glad we met too.”

* * *

Two days later, Miyeon and Shuhua still weren’t speaking with Soojin, and Minnie was being _frosty_ at best, so Yuqi was stuck as an awkward go-between.

“You should really just talk to them, Soo…” Yuqi bobbed sideways to avoid a punch, narrowly squeaking out of the way. The older succubus had found a new favorite way to relieve stress, sparring with Yuqi on the roof of their apartment in the afternoons when the other girls were busy. “They’ll understand.”

“And how exactly am I supposed to explain to them why I asked them to keep hiding their relationship?” Soojin aimed a kick at Yuqi’s head, but the younger woman ducked underneath.

“Well…” Yuqi faked a jab to the left but twisted to the right and swept her leg, trying to trip Soojin. The older woman danced backwards, but Yuqi’s foot caught her and she stumbled backwards. “Just… be yourself.” Yuqi immediately regretted the choice of words. That particular nugget of common wisdom didn’t apply very well in this situation.

“Great idea, Yuqi.” Soojin threw a series of punches, but Yuqi deflected them easily. “Should I open with the part where I tell them how much I wish they’d have sex again?” She punctuated the last words with a hard hook, but Yuqi caught her arm and sent her stumbling away, carried by her own momentum.

“Soo…” Both of them knew that Shuhua and Miyeon hadn’t had sex since the fight with Soojin. Yuqi wasn’t entirely sure how the two things were connected, but the result was a situation that left none of the four of them happy. Yuqi still had a steady _diet_ thanks to Yeonjae, at least now that Irene had agreed to give them some privacy, but Soojin was having to spend a lot of time foraging and her mood had suffered. “Can you at least try to tell them how you feel? I know you can’t say _everything_ , but… it’s the feelings that really matter, right?” She sidestepped as Soojin charged back at her.

“Dammit Yuqi.” Soojin barely contained a scream of frustration. “Stop moving so I can _hit_ you.” It almost seemed unfair to Yuqi to spar with Soojin like this. On top of the emotional guilt and anxiety, Soojin was _hungry_. Soojin launched a reckless attack at Yuqi, but the energy-charged half-succubus anticipated it well in advance, sighing in resignation. She caught Soojin’s arm and flipped her over, the older woman crashing to the ground and landing hard on her back.

“What the hell?” A very confused Miyeon was suddenly standing over Soojin, looking at Yuqi in shock.

“Mi-Miyeon-unnie? When did you…?” Yuqi stammered. _How didn’t I notice her coming?_ Miyeon’s unusually bland _taste_ hadn’t even registered on her senses with so much of her focus on Soojin.

Soojin, lying flat on her back and cringing from the force of Yuqi’s throw, looked up at Miyeon and chose this moment to be brave. “Ummm… hey unnie… can we talk?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think if I write another story in this universe it's gonna be about Irene. I've been thinking a lot about her past and how her life will be impacted by the end of this story.


End file.
